died successively, at comparatively short intervals. The last of these men, I was informed by
the local Malays, received a kick from the Spectre Huntsman (di-sepak uleh Hantu Pĕmburu)
as he was going down the hill to the village in the morning. He took no notice of the
occurrence and proceeded down the river in a boat. Three hours later he vomited mangrove
leaves(!) and was brought back dead! Cp. N. and Q., No. 2, sec. 32 (issued with J.R.A.S., S.B.,
No. 15). ↑
28
From J.R.A.S., S.B., No. 9, pp. 129, 130, “Malayan Ornithology,” by Captain H. R. Kelham,
who adds:—
“I asked Mr. Low, H.B.M. Resident of Pêrak, if he could give me any information as to which
species of Hornbill this legend relates to, and he writes—
“‘It is the largest Hornbill which is found in Pêrak, bigger, I should say, than the Rhinoceros
Hornbill, but I have never seen it except flying, or on very high trees. The legend about it is
very common, but I do not know the scientific name of that particular Hornbill; but it is not
that you refer to, viz. Berenicornis comatus, Raffles; nor is it the Rhinoceros.’” ↑
29
Vol. i. No. 23, pp. 360–363. ↑
30
If Sir W. E. Maxwell is right this must be another name for the night-jar (vide p. 110n. supra).
But the identification is at least doubtful. ↑
31
Vide supra, p. 109, note. ↑
32
Cp. Swett., Mal. Sketches, p. 160. ↑
33
Swett., Mal. Sketches, pp. 159, 160. ↑
34
In Selangor I have heard a similar story; but in this case it was a red-crested hornbill which
supplied the buttons, which latter were said to turn green on the approach of poison. The only
solid-crested hornbill is, I believe, the Rhinoplax. ↑
35
The amount of luck which goes with any particular bird of this species depends on the number
of scales on its feet, for counting which certain verbal categories (like our own “tinker, tailor,
soldier” formula) are used. Forty-four is the luckiest number of scales for one of these birds to