“Common on the hills back of the town of Sulu, and very abundant in Tawi Tawi where it occurs in great flocks, but very wild and extremely difficult to approach. The cry of this bird is the most peculiar bird-note we have ever heard. It begins with a series of notes precisely like the ‘song’ of a common hen magnified about fifty-fold, and ends with an indescribable combination of cackles and shrieks.
“Two males from Tawi Tawi measure, 717 in length; wing, 293; tail, 243; tarsus, 52; middle toe with claw, 59. Six females from same locality measure: Length, 672; wing, 268; tail, 224; tarsus, 51; middle toe with claw, 55. A male and two females from Sulu are slightly smaller. Eyes vary from nearly white to nearly black, the females usually having the darker eyes; bare skin of head black; bill black. Food fruit.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus GYMNOLÆMUS Grant, 1892.
Casque large, compressed, and fairly smooth, its top rounded, outline gently curved, overhanging behind and abruptly truncated in front; no chiseling on sides of bill; chin, upper throat, and large space around eye entirely nude.
293. GYMNOLÆMUS LEMPRIERI (Sharpe).
PALAWAN HORNBILL.
- Anthracoceros lemprieri Sharpe, Nature (1885), 32, 46 (desc. nulla); Proc. Zool. Soc. (1885), 446, pl. 26; Everett, Ibis (1895), 30.
- Anthracoceros marchii Oustalet, Le Naturaliste (1885), 108.
- Gymnolæmus marchii Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 370.
- Gymnolæmus lemprieri Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 65; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 56.
Balabac (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Marche, Lempriere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Celestino).
Adult male.—Rectrices pure white, their shafts pale yellow; remainder of plumage black, glossed with dark green. A male from Palawan measures: Length, about 710; wing, 290; tail, 240; bill from nostril, 111; greatest length of crest, 106; tarsus, 52.
“Adult female.—Resembles the male, but the casque is less developed and the size smaller. Length, 610; wing, 264; tail, 216; tarsus, 53.” (Grant.)