PREFACE
COULD an interest in any ornithological group only be created by the beauty of dress
or gracefulness of form of its various members, it might possibly happen that the
BUCEROTID^ would not be selected as the subject for an illustrated monograph; and
while their full value is always accorded to these attributes, perhaps occasionally even
in an exaggerated degree, yet as Nature never made an ugly object (even the most
repulsive thing so called being admirably and wonderfully fitted for the place it is
destined to fill in hfe), beauty of plumage and symmetry of form are by no means
the only causes that lead a naturalist to choose any one group as an especial object
for study. The very peculiar appearance of the majority of the birds contained in
this volume, as well as the extraordinary habits and structure common to all, which
make them to differ from other feathered creatures, together with the generally
meagre accounts of many of the species, only to be met with by searching numerous
publications, were the chief reasons that induced me to select this family as the subject
of my fifth illustrated monograph.
Scattered as the species are over many countries, it has not fallen to the lot of
any one ornithologist to observe all of them in their native haunts ; but beside what
could be gathered from published accounts, to be found in various journals written
in many languages, I have been most kindly aided by those who have enjoyed
opportunities of observing certain species in the locahties where the birds dwell.
Although in the various articles accompanying the species in the body of this work
I have endeavoured to express ray thanks to those who have in any way helped me,
I would nevertheless take this opportunity to repeat them, apologizing at the same time
to any one of my friends whose name I may inadvertently omit. To Mr. A. 0. Hume,
who has at all times in the most generous manner given me the benefit of his extensive
knowledge of the Indian species, and incurred the expense of a special expedition to
procure for this work specimens of ANOURHINUS TICKELLI, of which no example
b