. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms; . eoccupied by other pairs. An interesting incident was observed while on Mount on a tree the external signs of a hornbills nest, and a male rhinoceros perched closeby, I shot the male, and while waiting for my Dyak collectors to make a ladder up the treeto secure the female, I observed several young male birds fly to the nest and assiduously plythe bereaved widow with food, a fact which seems to indicate a competition in the matrimonialmarket of the bird-world as severe as that among human beings. It is n
. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms; . eoccupied by other pairs. An interesting incident was observed while on Mount on a tree the external signs of a hornbills nest, and a male rhinoceros perched closeby, I shot the male, and while waiting for my Dyak collectors to make a ladder up the treeto secure the female, I observed several young male birds fly to the nest and assiduously plythe bereaved widow with food, a fact which seems to indicate a competition in the matrimonialmarket of the bird-world as severe as that among human beings. It is no easy matter toprocure embryos or nestlings of hornbills, for the natives are inordinately fond of both asarticles of diet, and, further, are always anxious to secure the tail-feathers of the adults toadorn their war-coats and hats. The native method of catching the female during incubation is ingenious, though Phtlo hj Schtliftli PhoU. Co.] CRESTED HORNBILL Tic Hornhllls deriiC ihrir name fi urn thr great iizc of the hill ROLLERS, KINGFISHERS, HORXBILLS, AND HOOPOES 109. decidedly brutal. The tree is scaled, the resin-likc substance is broken away, and the frightened bird flies from her nest up the hollow trunk of the tree, but is ignominiously brought down b\ means of a thorny stick (the thorns point downward), which is thrust after and twisted abtiut until a firm grip in her plumage is obtained. The Dyaks, never ver\ faithful observers of nature, bclie\-e that the female is shut up b\- the male, so that after hatching her eggs she maj- die, the maggots in her jnitrefying body affording food for the young. One ver_\-curious habit of the rhinoceros- hornbiU which I have not hitherto seen noted is the rapid jumping up and down on a branch w ith both feet together. This jumping motion is imitated b} the Kyans and D_\aks in their dances, the figure being known to the Kj^ans as wan blingong. That the , unlike as they may be in general appearance, are neverthelessintimatel
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecad, booksubjectfishes, booksubjectzoology
