William Lutley Sclater

“ A favourite resort is a patch of burnt ground; there, with their long beaks, they turn up the sods in search of insects or grubs. Having found a dainty morsel, they take it between the tips of their mandibles, and toss it up in the air, catching it again, and swallowing it immediately. They also kill and eat Snakes, Frogs, Lizards, Tortoises, Rats, and Mice. I have not seen them kill a snake in the dramatic fashion described by Mr. Ayres, but at all times, when they have secured a choice morsel, they will stretch out their wings, jump up in the air, and give vent to their "bromming" sound. ”

“ Ayres' oft-quoted account is as follows:—"On discovering a snake, three or four of the birds will advance sideways towards it, with their wings stretched out, and, with their quills, flap at and irritate the snake till he seizes them by their wing-feathers, when they immediately all close round, and give him violent pecks with their long and sharp bills, quickly withdrawing again when the snake leaves its hold. This they repeat till the snake is dead. If the reptile advances on them, they place both wings in front of them, completely covering their heads and most vulnerable parts." ”

“ When "booming" the red pouch under the throat is generally, though not invariably, distended with air; this action can be performed at will. Mr. Layard lays great stress on the evil stench emitted by this bird, but I have not found this at all noticeable in the case of the individual observed by myself.
A complete account of the nesting habits of the Brom-vogel has not, so far as I am aware, been yet given, but it doubtless builds a nest on the flat crown of a tree where the trunk has decayed away, or else in a hole in a tree. ”