ANATOMY OF BIRDS
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS
CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS
LIZARD-TAILED BIRD
AMERICAN TOOTHED-BIRDS
THE OSTRICHES
THE RHEAS
EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
THE TINAMOUS
THE KIWIS
THE PENGUINS
LOONS AND GREBES
ALBATROSSES & PETRELS
STORK-LIKE BIRDS
GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS
FALCON-LIKE BIRDS
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
CRANE-LIKE BIRDS
PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Birds and Birding's Guide to:
Watching THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLERS AND THEIR ALLIES
THE HORNBILLS
Hornbill Species
This species, therefore, confirms the observation made on other species of the genus, viz., that the Hornbills pass through a complete moult in the six or eight weeks during which they are imprisoned with the eggs and young.”The eggs are from two to three or four in number and are white when laid, but they soon become soiled and discolored.
Another of the remarkable phenomena connected with the life history of the Hornbills, brought to scientific attention by Bartlett, Flower, and Murie, and since confirmed by others, is the so-called vomiting up of gizzard-sacs containing food. That is, at intervals during the nesting period, and perhaps at other times, the males of certain species throw up a sac some three inches long and two inches in diameter, in which is contained nuts, fruit, and berries, which it is supposed is passed to the female during her incarceration, and which serve to supply her with the necessary food.
The structure of these sacs has been investigated and demonstrated to be a sort of lining to the gizzard found inside the regular lining of this organ and thrown up practically entire. The sac is apparently formed by the rapid development of the cells just below the inner surface of the gizzard and is pushed off entire, retaining, of course, all the sinuosities, elevations, and depressions of the mucous folds of that organ.
This is apparently an adaptation which permits of the male supplying the female with sufficient food at one visit to last her for some time, thus obviating the necessity of repeated visits, which would be likely to disclose the location of the nest, though it is difficult to understand how such condition could have been developed. The interval of time between the production of these sacs is unknown, but if it is the only or usual manner in which food is passed to the female, the development must of necessity be limited to a few days at most. In any event, the female appears to be abundantly supplied with food, for, as above stated, when removed from her prison, she is found to be fat.
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