sisting of a membraneous substance; the ground white marked with crimson; the skin, which covers the base of the lower mandible, is very differently shaped and is much stained with crimson, only a small spot of black upon the upper mandible, where it joins the head, which junction is soft; eye black, the skin round the eye, extending to the ear, white marked with crimson: the ear feathers form a curve, beginning in the centre of the black mark of the lower mandible running along it, and rising above the ear, where it joins the crest, in some I have observed the white tail feathers marked in the web with black at their base; these birds in size are rather smaller than the first. PUTTEAL Dunnase, with a double beak or horn upon the upper mandible, over which it curves about half way, base hid in feathers; horn black, except at the lower edge near the point which is brown; the upper mandible black in the middle, shaded off to white at the point; lower mandible the same, white at the bottom, both serrated; a small black projection from the bottom of the lower mandible, crested, cinereous, tinged with brown; the feathers from the eye to an inch over the beak, iron grey, dashed with brown; ear feathers dark iron grey, forming a curve from the lower part of the eye, extending nearly across the head, under the crest; back grey; neck the same, much lighter, breast, belly, thighs, and coverts of the vent, white; coverts of the tail, greyish brown; scapulars, greater, and lesser coverts of the wings, lead color; primaries at the base of the web, black, then dark grey, edged with white; each primary R 2 " primary white at the end near an inch; secondaries nearly the same; tertial greyish brown; under coverts of the wings, white: tail cuneiform, very long, two middle feathers reddish brown, longer than the rest, which are ferruginous, tipt with near an inch of white, above which is a mark much larger, black; eye, speculum black, irides reddish brown; from the beak to the ear feathers, and round the eye bare; this part is black; legs and feet, black, marked with dirty white at the joints; claws large and strong; length two feet five inches, from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail; extent two feet four inches. THE last of these birds is to be met with in almost every part of the country, more particularly where there are jungles: I have seen a variety of them at Burragong in Sircar Sarun, where, instead of the horn, they had a large knob at the base of the beak, very much resembling that of a wild goose: the one I have attempted to give a description of, was brought to me, at Midnapore, in which province and the extending hilly country, they abound. I have seen them in the vicinity of Sheergotty THE Bagma Dunnase chiefly inhabits the western range of hills, extending from Neelgur through Mohurbunge, Midnapore, Ramgur, Rotas, towards Bidzigur, In Ramgur I have been informed by an intelligent person, they are to be seen in abundance, he told me that he had seen crouds of them on the Peepul trees; the berry of which they feed upon at times. Their note, or voice in concert, has a strong resemblance to the mournful cries of monkies, for which this person deceived by the sound, at first took them. The place where I met with them, was at Midnapore, in the jungles adjacent to which they are to be found from the month of November to the month of March only, at which time, they retire to the hills to breed. I should have been highly pleased, could my curiosity have been gratified in the enquiries I made, respecting the economy of this extraordinary bird, but the people I had to deal with, were poor ignorant folk from whom I could gain but little information; I therefore can do little more than ascertain one curious fact, and display some qualities of the bird, which may hereafter be of benefit, if thoroughly investigated by some person of medical skill. THESE birds have a most remarkable appearance, when in the act of flying, from the great size of their beaks, and length of tail; I have seen several of them in this state, and a more uncouth object I never beheld: the beak which forms the most prominent feature in this strange bird, may be considered as one of the most uncommonly curious among the feathered tribe. The Toucan, the Spoonbill, the Pelican, the Dodo, and others, certainly claim the attention of the naturalist; but in my humble opinion, the Bagma has merits far superior, on the ground of rarity. The largest beak I ever saw was produced from a bird shot at a place called Kullar, about nine miles from Midnapore. The following is the measurement: Length of the beak in a straight line from its junction with the head Depth of the whole beak including the horn, near Inches. 8 4/ The The horn to its junction with the upper mandible Each mandible in the centre of the beak Distance from the point of the horn to the point of the beak IT may be proper to observe here, that the beak forms a much greater curve than the horn; the point of which is parallel to its junction with the beak, whereas the point of the beak comes down an inch and a quarter below the lower mandible. lowing is the measurement of the bird to beak belonged. The folwhich this Heighth and breadth of the head Circumference of the neck in the middle I HAVE to regret, that I did not weigh this bird: indeed at the time I had no idea that I should attempt the description of it; I can only therefore venture to guess that it might weigh about six or seven pounds. I took a drawing of the bird, which has enabled me to give the above account. I ENDEVOURED to acquire some information from the bird-catchers respecting the use of the horn, upon the idea that nature forms nothing in vain, but all that I could learn was unsatisfactory, and amounted to little more more than this: one of the beaks was brought to me with the horn very much worn at the point, which they told me proceeded from the birds striking it against the trees, but for what particular purpose they so applied it they could give no clear account. But what may be probably deemed the most extraordinary circumstance relating to this curious bird is its feeding upon the Nux vomica. This is a point, which I have been able clearly to ascertain: one of these birds, purchased by Capt. JOHN CAMPBELL was opened by his orders, before several respectable gentleman at Midnapore; and in its craw was found several seeds of the Nux vomica. With respect to my own observation, I have had only one opportunity of seeing the contents of the craw which was that of the bird shot at Kullar; nothing was found in it, but the remains of an egg and some weeds: but to carry on the enquiry, that I might be able safely to assert what appeared to me a circumstance of great curiosity, I asked the bird-catchers what these birds fed upon: they very particularly mentioned a fruit called Coochla; agreeably to my directions, they brought it to me: it was about the size of a lime, of an orange colour, with a very hard skin, shining and almost smooth, it contained a pulpous substance, distinct and separate from the shell: conversing since with a man, who had been in Major CRAWFORD'S corps at Jelda, who had seen great numbers of these birds in the surrounding hilly country, I inquired of him what they fed upon; he said sometimes upon the berry of the Peepul tree, but that the food they af fected |