6 ioe | ¥ ry RAT ey inate a) 3 Ae ea] ee MINOT, “2 — \> ~ xy © B ~ a | < Pelargopsis Ld) Ceryle .MER O PID 4 S a | \ 15° : : sco < Tanysip tera OTE Melidora Carcineutes a | ve | Dacelo 2 24 ee BUCEROTID&A Vi le MAP oF tHE FAMILY A iy G 38 DION 10D Ae MOMOT ID & A MONOGRAPH THE ALCKEDINIDA: FAMILY OF KINGFISHERS. R. B. SHARPE, F.LS., éc,, LIBRARIAN TO THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, MEMBER OF THE GERMAN ORNITHOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY, &e., &e. Perque dies placidos hiberno tempore septem Incubat aleyone pendentibus zequore nidis. Ovid, Met. xi. 745. OI nnenenewnm Rondon: wearer sneED BY THE AUTHOR. 1868—71. au) np Oma A (114% 14) oe ee 876, Coes M7, Hetinte~ Cccuvae STH2 DE oe LONDON: © so aby sf os nt PRINTED BY J. W. ELLIOT, 8, WHITE HART peewee CATHERINE » vp, Ws ny sr am Prk VISCOUNT WALDEN, PRESIDENT, AND THE NOBLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN COMPOSING Re eau N Cl L OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, THIS WORK, IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT AND KIND ASSISTANCE, IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY THEIR OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. a 1 OQGRT> PRPs | 7 4 ww * oo “_ 5 x thkcy .- - hm Oa) Px 73 ’ Sane 4 ‘ENE Lae - 6 \ —_ " a Pa = s iJ - £- o . . < . LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. H.I.M. THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA. THE ROYAL LIBRARY, Wrypsor Casrtez. AMSTERDAM, ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, (“ Natura artis Magistra.” ) ARGYLL, His Grace the Duke of, K.G. F.R.S , Argyll Lodge, Kensington. AUSTEN, N. L. Esq,, F.Z.S., The Acacias, Croydon. BACKHOUSKH, F. W., Esq., Chart Lodge, Reigate. BACKHOUSE, T., Esq., Middlesborough-on-Tees, (2 Copies). BALDAMUS, Dr. A. C. Edward, M.A. Halle a 8. Germany. BARCLAY, R. Esq , 54, Lombard Street. BARCLAY, Hanbury, Esq., Church Hill House, Handsworth, Birmingham. BARTLETT, A. D. 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WALDEN, Viscount, President of the Zoological Society ot London, Walden Cottage, Chislehurst, Kent. WALLACE, Mrs. 14, Park Crescent, Oxford. WALLACE, Alfred R. Esq., F.Z.S,, Holly House, Barking. WARD, James Rowland, Esq,, Zoological Studios, Harley Mews, W. WHEELDON, Mr. J , 60, Great Queen Street, W.C., (2 copies), WHITILY, H. Esq., 28, Wellington Street, Woolwich. WILLIAMS, F. Esq., Middlesborough-on-Tees. WILLIAMS, W. J. Esq., 11, Hanover Square. WILLIAMS, and NORGATHE, Messrs., 14, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, (3 copies). WOLF, Joseph, Esq., F.Z.8., 51, Berners Street, W. WRIGHT, Professor E, Percival, M.D., Dublin, YOUNG, Lady, Formosa, Cookham, near Maidenhead, ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 11, Hanover Square , ‘ ; ; y om + f a fy b ie , ; | 1? La , ‘ ay 7 > é f TrTLE-PAGE. DEDICATION. List oF CoNTENTS. List oF PLATES. Introduction. Classification. Geographical Distribution. Concluding Remarks. Literature. Alcedo ispida », bengalensis » grandis », moluccensis », asiatica », quadribrachys » semitorquata » euryzona », beryllina Corythornis vintsioides .. _ cristata H ceeruleocephala Aleyone azurea », pulchra diemensis Lessoni affinis pusilla » eyanopectus Ceryle guttata lugubris rudis maxima », Sharpii », torquata GO ND ew? Ss. SUPP P PPP PPP PP 55. Olfe Ceryle stellata aleyon amazonia Cabanisi americana inda superciliosa Pelargopsis melanorhyncha Ceyx ” amauroptera < leucocephala +9 Gouldi af Fraseri s gurial os malaccensis Bs burmanica floresiana .. philippinensis solitaria melanura tridactyla rufidorsa Sharpei Dillwynni eajeli Wallacei lepida uropygialis Ceycopsis fallax Ispidina madagascariensis leucogastra picta natalensis ruficeps Lecontei i. Syma torotoro aan e000 ” flavirostris Halcyon coromanda badia smyrnensis gularis cyanoventris .... pileata slevere S000 erythrogastra semiceerulea albiventris orientalis Srrot vines chelicutensis senegaloides cyanoleuca senegalensis .... dryas malimbica albicilla leucopygia nigrocyanea .... racuchc lazuli diops Macleayi pyrrhopygia cinnamomina australasize Lindsayi concreta Hombroni sacra Julize chloris p- SUPP PI See epee CONTENTS. Halcyon sordida 3 Forsteni » vVagans As sancta 5 funebris Todirhamphus veneratus 5 recurvirostris se tutus Carcineutes pulchellus.... 5 melanops . Monachaleyon monachus Caridonax fulgidus Tanysiptera sylvia 5 doris 5 Emilize + sabrina 95 nympha a Ellioti .5 5 hydrocharis 5 acis > Margarethze i nais galatea a: Riedeli Dacelo gigas », Leachi » cervina », occidentalis 5, Gaudichaudi yt LYE Cittura sanghirensis » cyanotis Melidora macrorhina SUPPU ODP PP PP POPP PPP PP moby OR Pe ES. peed a Alcedo ispida Plate 28... . Ceryle superciliosa », bengalensis Peay ee Pelargopsis melanorhyncha »» grandis SeisO.k Je 4 es amauroptera », moluccensis a tal. a leucocephala » —asiatica MEREOR , Gouldi », quadribrachys La » Fraseri » semitorquata Sot ee : " gurial » euryzona nee Eta 4 burmanica » _ beryllina B17 COO:. Sy. : a5 floresiana Corythornis vintsioides User 8 yo ee Rel ABE oy . 4, solitaria Gi I ome! ee ; », melanura See ereton ReaD. : ,», tridactyla 2 ic een 1 ie : », rufidorsa . { ¥ pica wh ae : », Sharpei pusilla Pore: nee : », Dillwynni »_ eyanopectus ek aac : i cajeli Ceryle guttata a : », Wallacei aes aye: 3 3 », lepida >. anaceime 5 i Ps ‘ 5, uropygialis a Sharpii ee eer Ceycopsis fallax » torquata sy a0. Ispidina madagascariensis » _ alcyon Oe e : », leucogastra ,» amazonia se Me 2 - ‘ picta », Cabanisi speeee ‘ ,, natalensis americana ss) Ocee bln ; » Yuficeps » inda rc) Mee ,, Lecontei ii. Plate © Syma torotoro Plate “88. ,, flavirostris 88s Halcyon coromanda 3 "90. » badia » “me = smyrnensis se ee » gularis Tae 2 cyanoventris 551 eae ‘4 pileata a Paes x erythrogastra sx OG: - semiczerulea 4 OE us albiventris » 798. 5 orientalis ee: chelicutensis 35, 200: “ senegaloides sy OR. cyanoleuca sh) ek - senegalensis 5, 103. 2 dryas =. M04 “s malimbica 7 Sz a albicilla > 106. “ leucopygia 55 pel OF - nigrocyanea 59 LOS » lazuli , 109. ~ diops 35 LEE Macleayi serrate Hf pyrrhopygia ae! er ~ cinnamomina ieee Las ~ australasice | mee WE 2 3 Lindsayi sy, Wk Lies . concreta ya DG? re Hombroni Se ia LA “5 sacra = “118. » Julie . ne oe - chloris = 120. LIST OF PLATES. Halcyon sordida “ Forsteni 5» vVagans + sancta on funebris Todirhamphus veneratus ” recurvirostris + tutus Carcineutes pulchellus = melanops Monachaleyon monachus Caridonax fulgidus Tanysiptera sylvia sf doris RS Emilie es sabrina = nympha = Ellioti Pr) hydrocharis ¥s acis ” Margarethze - nais 2 galatea £ Riedeli Dacelo gigas »» Leachi »» cervina », occidentalis ;; Gaudichaudi » tyro Cittura sanghirensis »» ¢yanotis Melidora macrorhina GND BOR Geb ON. I owe the suggestion of the present Monograph to Mr. W. J. Williams, of the Zoological Society, who, in the year 1865, proposed that we should write together a synopsis of the known species of Kingfishers. Owing, however, to increased calls upon his time, Mr. Williams was forced to abandon the project, and the work was dropped for some time. In 1866 I again resumed the task by myself, and have since steadily persevered with the work until I have been at length enabled to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion. I take this opportunity of returning my grateful thanks for their kindness to the many friends who have contributed to the success of the undertaking, and without whose assistance it would have been impossible to finish the book. In this country my thanks are due especially to Lord Walden, Lord Lilford, Dr. P. L. Sclater, Professor Newton, and Messrs. John Gould, Osbert Salvin, G. Dawson Rowley, H. E. Dresser, G. R. Gray, and especially to Mr. A. R. Wallace, who placed at my disposal his beautiful collection of Kingfishers. In France, M. Jules Verreaux has done all he could to assist me, and render my book as perfect as possible. ‘To Germany my thanks are due in the persons of Dr. Peters, of Berlin, who sent me over some rare specimens to figure, and of Drs. Hartlaub and Finsch, of Bremen, who have always displayed the greatest willingness to help me with all their power. In Italy, Count Salvadori, of Turin, has given me much valuable aid; and I am indebted to him for the loan of several unique birds. Nor must I forget Count Turati, of Milan, who has from time to time sent me from his magnificent collection specimens necessary for the work. In Vienna another kind friend, Herr A. von Pelzeln, has lent me some rarities from the Imperial Cabinet. Lastly, I have to record my obligations to Professor Schlegel, who not only did his utmost to assist me during my visit to Leiden, but allowed me to bring to England all the specimens which I considered indispensable to the satisfactory completion of my book. Neither shall I forget the kindness I received during the same visit from his compatriots, Dr. G. F. Westerman and Mr. Hegt, of Amsterdam, where the Museum contains a very good series of Kingfishers. It would be invidious to say any thing about the way in which my artist, Mr. Keulemans, has performed the task allotted to him. ‘The attention which he has bestowed upon the work merits my highest approbation; and I only regret that in some instances the effect of his beautiful drawings has been marred by the incapacity of the colourists. The depart- ment of printing and colouring the plates has been intrusted to Mr. P. W. M. Trap; and a a il INTRODUCTION. though on the whole well executed, I am sorry that I cannot give unqualified praise in some instances. Lastly, I have to return my heartfelt thanks to those subscribers who have favoured me with their patronage. Without their assistance it would have been impossible to finish the book successfully; and the encouragement accorded by so many kind friends has cheered me on through all the difficulties of the task, which have been far greater than I ever anticipated. I have no right to endeavour to disarm criticism, after having under- taken the production of so ambitious a work; but I do hope that the errors of the present monograph, which, of course, is not by any means perfect, may be viewed with a lenient eye; for it must be remembered that an author who commences so large an undertaking at the age of seventeen, and who as he pens these last words has not attained to the age of twenty- three, cannot have lived long enough to have digested all the mass of literature which would bear upon the subject, and is therefore entitled to some slight consideration. But I believe that the facts stated in this book may be depended upon; for in every instance where an assertion has appeared doubtful I have been careful not to state it, leaving it to future investigation to prove or disprove the correctness of the original statement. Finally, a short ‘“* History of the Work ” may be of use to students who desire to know the date of publication of any of the species. Dates of Publication. Parr L., July 1st, 1868, contained figures and descriptions of Caridonaa fulgidus, Carci- neutes pulchellus, Halcyon pileata, H. dryas, Ceyx cajeli, C. wallacti, Ceryle alcyon, C. superciliosa. Parr II., October Ist, 1868, contained figures and descriptions of Cittura sanghirensis, C. cyanotis, Ceyx lepida, C. solitaria, C. tridactyla (Vosm.), C. melanura, Carcineutes melanops, Ceryle cabanisi. After this part was published it was discovered that C. tridactyla (Vosm.) was not the true C. tridactyla (Pallas); and the name was corrected in the succeeding Part. Parr IIL, January Ist, 1869, contained figures and descriptions of Dacelo gaudichaudi and D. tyro, Tanysiptera nympha, Halcyon badia, Syma torotoro and 8. flavirostris, Ceya tridactyla and C. philippinensis. The species figured, as above mentioned, in Part III. as C. tridactyla not being the true CU. tridactyla, but C. rufidorsa, letterpress to accompany the Plate is now given, and with the last Part a slip of paper is published to paste over the name of C. tridactyla published in Part I11.; and then all will be correct. Parr IV., April 1st, 1869, contained figures and descriptions of Melidora macrorhina, Halcyon senegaloides, Ispidina madagascariensis, I. leucogastra, I. picta, Ceyx uropygialis, Alcyone cyanopectus, Ceryle inda. Parr V., July 1st, 1869, contained figures and descriptions of Ceryle amazonia, Alcedo beryllina, A. semitorquata, Corythornis vintsioides, Ceycopsis fallax, Ispidina ruficeps, Haleyon orientalis, H. cyanoleuca. Parr VI1., October 6th, 1869, contained descriptions of the following :—Ceryle guttata, CLASSIFICATION. ill C. lugubris, C. maxima, C. sharpei, Alcyone pusilla, Corythornis cristata, C. ceruleocephala, Ispidina natalensis, Tanysiptera sylvia. Plates were given of all, except C. lugubris, of which a figure was not deemed necessary. Part VII., January Ist, 1870, contained descriptions and figures of Ceryle torquata, Alcedo grandis, Alcyone pulchra, Halcyon cyanoventris, H. albiventris, H. senegalensis, H. malimbica, Dacelo leachi. Part VIII., April 1st, 1870, contained figures and descriptions of Pelargopsis amauroptera, P. leucocephala, P. gouldi, P. burmanica, P. floresiana, Ceyx sharpii, Dacelo cervina, D. occidentalis. Part IX., July Ist, 1870, contained figures and descriptions of Pelargopsis melanorhyncha, Alcedo euryzona, A. bengalensis, H. coromanda, H. gularis, H. erythrogaster, H. lazuli, Tanysiptera hydrocharis. Parts X. & XI., October Ist, 1870, contained figures and descriptions of Alcedo moluc- censis, A. asiatica, Alcyone azurea, Ceryle americana, Ceyx dillwynni, Halcyon smyrnensis, H. diops, H. macleayi, H. nigro-cyanea, H. concreta, H. pyrrhopygia, H. sordida, H. cinna- momina, Monachaleyon monachus, Tanysiptera margarethe, Dacelo gigas. Part XII., November Ist, 1870, contained descriptions of Alcyone diemensis, Ceryle stel- lata, Pelargopsis gurial, Halcyon semicerulea, H. chloris, H. sancta, H. forsteni, Todirhamphus recurvirostris, Tanysiptera doris, T. acis. Of all of these, figures were given, except of Alcyone diemensis and Ceryle stellata. Part XIII., December Ist, 1870, contained descriptions and figures of Alcedo ispida, A. quadribrachys, Halcyon chelicutensis, H. australasiw, H. funebris, H. sacra, Todirhamphus veneratus, T'. tutus. Parts XIV. & XV., January Ist, 1871. These parts contain eke of Ceryle rudis, Alcyone affinis, A. lessoni, Pelargopsis fraseri, P. malaccensis, Ispidina lecontei, Halcyon lindsayi, H. hombroni, H. albicilla, H. vagans, H. julie, H. leucopygia, Tanysiptera nais, T. galatea, T. sabine, T. emilie, T. ellioti, T. riedeli, all of which are figured except Pelarg- opsis malaccensis. ‘This concluding number also contains the chapter on Anatomy, Intro- duction, Titlepage, &c. CLASSIFICATION. The Kingfishers form a very natural family of the great Picarian order, and are alike remarkable for their brilliant coloration and for the variety of curious and aberrant forms which are included among their number. The general characteristics of the family cannot, I think, be better stated than in the words of Mr. A. R. Wallace, who, in his admirable essay on ‘‘a Natural Arrangement of Birds” (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1856, vol. xviii. p. 193), thus speaks of the Fissirostres, to which artificial group the Kingfishers belong :— *““The external characters which distinguish these birds are, very short and weak legs, long, or at all events powerful wings, and a wide gape. ‘Their characteristic habit is to sit a2 iv CLASSIFICATION. motionless watching for their prey, to dart after it and seize it on the wing and to return to their original position to swallow it. The groups which possess these peculiarities in the greatest perfection are the Trogons and the Kingfishers.” To this excellent definition I may add that the Alcedinide nest in holes and lay white eggs. It is, however, to be re- marked that, in accordance with a modification of the habits of the various genera, a corre- sponding modification has taken place in the mode of nidification, the piscivorous section of the family nesting for the most part in holes in the banks of streams, while the insectivorous section of the family generally nest in the holes of trees, not necessarily in the vicinity of water. My friend M. Jules Verreaux, who has had in Africa opportunities of observing the breeding-habits of the Wood Kingfishers (Halcyon, Ispidina, &c.), tells me that these birds nest in holes already formed in the trees, or in rotten wood. Sometimes they enlarge the hole and eject the débris; this, however, is often left to form a platform for the eggs. They do not, as a rule, lay as many eggs as the true Kingfishers, two or three being the average number. I propose to divide the family Alcedinide into two subfamilies, which present recognizable structural peculiarities. Naturally they might be divided into three, viz. :— 1. Alcedinine (sc. Piscivores)—being those Kingfishers which feed principally on fish, and | seldom or never touch insects &c. 2. Halcyonine (sc. Omnivores)—being those Kingfishers whose food is of a mixed cha- racter, and which, subsisting partly on fish, also devour great quantities of insect food, beside Crustacea, Lizards, &c. The Halcyons, which are the most typical representatives of this subfamily, are most plentiful in the A‘thiopian region, and M. Jules Verreaux again favours me with a note concerning their habits as observed by him in Africa :— “Wood Kingfishers (//alcyones) generally feed on insects in mimosa trees and dry forests ; but when the supply is scanty, they turn their attention to lizards. Should this food also fail, they will frequent the water and fish like a true Alcedo. Sometimes they will hover, as if to inspect the water beneath them, remaining in the air for some time, but not so long as a true Kingfisher, and then, returning to their perch, they will sit for hours scarcely moving, till a passing fish is secured by an active plunge. A curious fact also is, that when they are in the bush there are generally seven or eight in close proximity, but when they go to the water they keep separate, each by itself. These Kingfishers, when they frequent the water or the sea-shore, eat crustacea or small shell-fish, which they hold between their feet, and breaking the shell by repeated blows of their bill, throw the latter away and devour the animal.” 3. Dacelonine (sc. Reptilivores)—being those Kingfishers whose food consists for the most part of Reptiles, Crustacea, &c., and which seldom or never touch fish. I find, however, that though the natural relation of these three subfamilies to one another is tolerably well defined, yet tangible characters for the separation of the two latter are wanting; and from the nature of the principles which I have always endeavoured to set before me (namely, of only recognizing structural and definable characters) I am compelled ' to merge these two subfamilies into one, for which I prefer to retain the name Dacelonine. CLASSIFICATION. v Nor will this arrangement be found unsatisfactory, as the links of the two subfamilies (Monachaleyon and Tanysiptera) are so closely allied that the chain of connexion seems almost unbroken. ‘I have taken the genus Alcedo as my starting-point, as it is the most usually accepted type of the family; and thence I have traced the progression of the genera towards Melidora, which I consider to be the extreme development of Reptilivorous Kingfisher. That the natural sequence in the evolution of the genera has been from Melidora to Alcedo I endea- vour to show in a subsequent page. The family Alcedinide may be divided into two subfamilies, as follows :— a. Rostro compresso, culmine distincté carinato . . . ~ « -«.. Ll. Alcedinine. 6. Rostro plus minusve depresso ; culmine levi, sone a suleato. . 2. Dacelonine. These two subfamilies appear to contain 125 species, belonging to 19 genera, as follows, namely :— ieee ot Sy Al Ye Gt genera’ > 2 |.) 41 species. Ie ot Ea ote er te oe Ow Udi genera 5°. «=. «8A species. I have been unable to distinguish several species, all of which are enumerated in my notices of the different works in the chapter on “ Literature.” Subfamily I. ALcEeDININz. Conspectus generum Alcedininarum. a. Cauda breviore quam rostro, vel huic zequante. a’. Digitis quatuor. a', Caput cristatum, plumis pilei antici ad occiput haud extendentibus 1. Alcedo. b". Caput cristatum, plumis pilei antici post occiput extendentibus. . 2. Corythornis. Te Sh 63) sae ean A ee Re coe lee ete, =. 8, Aleyone. 6. Cauda rostrum multo superante. Bemeouyde versus basil With 9. Le ee wt ee «4 Coryle. i Gonyde acuté, valde compressA . . . «. . « . « «. « » « « 5. Pelargopsis. A reference to the plate of generic characters is sufficient to show the difference in the shape of the crest in Alcedo and Corythornis (Plate I. figs. 1 & 2), the form of the crest- feather in the latter genus being elongated and broadened out towards the apex. Again, although Alcedo and Alcyone, in the form of bill and wing, are almost identical, yet the absence of a toe in the latter genus, in addition to the generally uniform nature of the upper plumage, presents, in my opinion, sufficient ground for generic separation (figs. la & 3). On the other hand, however, Ceryle and Pelargopsis are exceedingly difficult to separate; but a character can be found in the skulls, where it will be seen that that of Ceryle (fig. 11) has the lachrymal bones as in true Alcedo, whereas Pelargopsis has these bones developed into a backward process (fig. 12). There is also a difference in the acute- ness of the ridge of the gonys, which is the character adduced in my diagnostic table. vi CLASSIFICATION. Genus 1. ALCEDO. Alcedo, Linn. Syst; Nat. i, p. 178 (1766). . . eee A. td Clavis specierum. a. Torque pectorali nullo. a'. Abdomine rufo vel intensé castaneo. a'. Tectricibus alarum conspicué cyaneo apicatis. a'', Regione paroticé rufa. a!" Major, viridi-cyanea: rostrobrevi. . . . . . . . I. ispida. b'". Minor, leté cyanea: rostrolongo. . . . . . . . 2. bengalensis. b', Regione paroticé nigré cyaneo notata. c', Major, viridis: scapularibus viridibus. . . . . . . 8. grandis. d'". Minor, leté cyanea: scapularibus cyaneis . . . . . 4. moluccensis. b". Tectricibus alarum cyaneo vix apicatis. c'". Major: sexibus similibus: supra saturaté ultramarina . . 5. guadribrachys. d". Minor: sexibus differentibus: supra laté ultramarma . . 6. asiatica. b!. Abdomine pallidé aurantiaco. . . .. =.=... =. . - . @. semitorquata. b. Torque pectorali cyaneo. a’. Major: scapularibus nigris saturaté beryllino lavatis. . . .. . 8. euryzona. b'. Minor: scapularibus beryllinis . . . . «. .. 2 . 5 2 2 O.beryliina: The full synonymy of the different species is given in the work; but I shall take the opportunity here afforded me of adding notes or correcting mistakes; so that this Introduc- tion ought to be carefully collated with the accounts given in the body of the ‘ Monograph.’ Genus 2. CoRYTHORNIS. Type. Corythornis, Kaup, Fam. Eisy. p. 10 (1848) . . . . . . . . . GC. ceruleocephala. Clavis specierum. a. Rostronigro . . 1 6 «6 6, ee (eS Se 5. Rostro corallino. a’, Cristé longi malachitacei . . . . ~ 4. 2). 6 6 ey ge ee ene nGnn RONEN é'. Cristé brevi, ultramarinfB . ws) SP 1. CoRYTHORNIS CRISTATA. This Madagascar bird is certainly the true Alcedo cristata of Linnzus (ex Briss.) ; and I therefore regret that this was not before fully recognized by me. ‘The species in the present work has been called C. vintsioides. 2. CORYTHORNIS CYANOSTIGMA. The true A. cristata of Linneus being now proved to be the Madagascar bird, the con- tinental species must bear the name cyanostigma, which is to be regretted, as the appellation is applicable to the young bird only. CLASSIFICATION. vil 3. CoRYTHORNIS GALERITA. I am glad to see that Dr. von Heuglin agrees with me as to the improbability of this species being found in N.-E. Africa. The name of C. cwruleocephala (Gm.) sinks into a synonym in favour of the older name proposed by Miiller (Syst. Nat. Suppl. p. 94). Genus 3. ALCYONE. Type. cman, swains, (lassit, of B, ii, p. 386 (1837) 2 = we oe pis ew OA Gen Clavis specierum. a. Torque pectorali nullo. a'. Abdomine rufo. a". Rostro robustiore. a. Supra saturaté ultramarina . 1. lessoni. bd". Supra letissimé ultramarina 2. affinis. b". Rostro tenuiore. a. Rostro breviore: pileo nigro distincté fasciato . . . . . . 3. diemenensis. 6'". Rostro longiore, pileo haud fasciato. a iyponehouarinrUlitgN tn.) owed. «8 we A zUren. 6", Hypochondriis pulcherrimé ultramarinis . . . . . . . 5. pulchra. ee A er a ee ce ke fk «6G. pesilla. Beoname Vectors IAZUIMO VFe aus i 6) 6 hss kk lk eA. CYnOpectus. Of the species above enumerated, Alcyone diemenensis is the only one which may be con- sidered to hold subspecific rank; for I do not think its specific characters are of much importance. As regards Alcyone pusilla, this species may be considered one of the links between the genera Alcyone and Ceyx, while another link is to be found in Alcyone cyanopectus, which is certainly very close to Ceyx philippinensis. Indeed it will require the researches of some able naturalist, like Mr. Wallace, in the Philippines, clearly to show us what are the differences between the two species. My friend Count Salvadori, who has paid much attention to these birds, stipulates for their both being placed in the genus dlcyone; but I would rather keep them in the genus Ceyx, because we should then have plumage as an additional generic character, and this is by no means an unimportant matter in the classification of Kingfishers. All the species of Alcyone, distinguished by their uniform backs, would be in one genus, while all the species of Ceya, with their brilliant lilac or cobalt backs, would be in another genus, and the most aberrant forms would be found in Ceyx philippinensis and Ceyx cyanopectus. If researches in the Philippine Islands show (what I believe to be more than likely) that the two last-named birds are merely sexes or different stages of one and the same species, it will naturally be wondered that I could put them into different genera. It will then be necessary to examine the types of my descriptions; and it will be found that, according to the only outward character to be discovered, the two species have been rightly placed. Externally the differences between Ceyx and Alcyone are very slight; both are three-toed genera; and viil CLASSIFICATION. the great difference is to be found in their habits; for Aleyone is a fish-eater and partakes of the characteristics of true Al/cedo—that is to say, has a long, thin, pointed bill, much compressed, and strongly carinated: Ceyx, on the other hand, is a forest-loving genus, living away from the water, feeding on insects, and bearing affinity towards Halcyon; the bill is inclined to be depressed, has no strongly marked keel; and the genus could not be compared with Alcyone, were it not for the intermediate links to be found in the Philippine species above mentioned. A full knowledge of the habits and, still more, of the osteology of these two species is to be desired; for it is possible that, as in the case of Ceryle and Pelargopsis, where a difficulty is met with in finding a tangible and definable character for distinction, a good osteological character can be adduced for generic separation. We have now to consider the long-tailed section of the subfamily Alcedinine, in which only two genera, Ceryle and Pelargopsis, are included. In the former of these two genera a dacelonine peculiarity is first observed in the difference of the sexes, but not, as in most of the genera, in a perfect dissimilarity, or a difference in colour of the tail, but by the presence or absence of a pectoral band. This subject can be better discussed after the sections of the genus have been pointed out. Genus 4, CERYLE. Type. Ceryle, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316... . . Eee er Ispida, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 326 as37) g0¥) Ay ae OS eee ge Megaceryle, Kaup, Fam. Eisv. p. 8 (1848). . . . . . . . . . . C. gutiata. Chloroceryle, Kaup, Fam. Eisv. p. 8 (1848) . . . . . . . . . . GC. superciliosa. Amazonis, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 28 (1851). . . . . . . . . . GC. superciliosa. Streptoceryle, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854) . . . . . . . GC. torquata. Ichthynomus, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 150 (1860). . . . C. maxima. That most of the above genera are founded upon differences of plumage rather than upon structural peculiarities, will be shown by the following :— Clavis specierum. a. Sexibus similibus. a'. Dorso fusco, nigro et albo conspicué transfasciato. a, Major: rostro magis compressO 5. 9s wjis s+ + » © lnUgeeoran b". Minor: rostro ad basin paullo dilatato . . . . . =. =. =. . 2. guttata. . Sexibus dissimilibus. a'. Dorso albo, nigro maculato. . . . : . 2 8. aalis: Oe schistaceo-nigro : mas torque pened fifo disliiishinnalnig . Abdomine medio albo.... «).., . 7% OF Gye & Ns eS eee . Abdomine nigro, albo transfasciato . . . . . =. =. - . . &5. shurpit. c'!. Dorso claré schistaceo. a', Abdomine rufo, torque pectorali maris absente. a", Major: dorsoimmaculato . . . 9s 3 5 « + « «© «© ss) OVWOnMMaeE b"", Minor: dorso‘albo stellato © sys 5°27. 4.) 5 Seen eee 6", Abdomine'albo . . 0.0 05. Pe pee 7 ‘oa CLASSIFICATION. ix d'. Dorso zneo-viridi. a'. Gula alba. a, Major: alis extusimmaculatis. . . . . 9. amazonia. 6". Media: rostro robustiore: maculis seat ae uecicrhin . 10. cabanisi. ce’. Minor: rostro tenuiore: maculis alaribus minus distinctis. . 11. americana. 6". Gula rufescente. d". Major: abdomine toto Beer intensé castaneis, pectore concolori . . . oe . 12. inda. e”. Minor: abdomine igeatic crissoque purée 3 albis*: and castaneo 13. superciliosa. The genus Ceryle, in general appearance and shape of bill, would be more truly an Alcedi- nine form than its near ally Pelargopsis, but for the curious difference in sex already noticed. Although a casual observer would fail to perceive the reason why the Pied Kingfishers should be placed in separate sections, the habits of the two kinds are different, in the first place ; but, most of all, the ground-colour of the plumage is quite different, the pied appearance being produced by an opposite combination of colours in each case. Then, again, in the first section of the genus the sexes do not differ; and here must be the connecting link with Pelargopsis. I think that I did wrong in separating in the ‘ Monograph’ the Japanese form of Ceryle guttata as a distinct species under Temminck’s name C. lugudris; it is nothing more than a slightly larger race. All the other species of the genus Ceryle have the sexes different, the distinction being always exhibited in the form of a band. Thus in the Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) the male is characterized by a double band across the breast. The next section of the genus has the male distinguished by a beautiful rufous band across the chest, the belly being white, while in the female it is rufous. The third division consists of those species with slaty-blue backs, of which there are three. In the large species where - the belly is red, the female takes the band across the chest, this character being absent in the male; whereas in the small species (C. alcyon), which has the belly white, the male is distinguished by a broad pectoral band, while the female has two, the lower one being very narrow. All the other species of Ceryle have bronzy-green backs; and in the first sub- division, which contains three species, the belly is white, and the male is characterized by a bright rufous pectoral band, this being replaced in the female by green and white feathers ; while in the last subdivision, which contains only two species, with rufous bellies, the male is rufous underneath, while the female has a green pectoral band. The last genus of the subfamily Alcedininw is Pelargopsis, which has generally been included in Halcyon, but which from its habits is closely allied to Ceryle, to which genus in form it also closely assimilates. Genus 5. PELARGOPSIS. Type. Pelargopsis, Gloger, Handb. d. Naturg. p. 338 (1842) . aro ? Rhamphalcyon, Reich. Handb. Alced. p.16 (1851) . . . . . . . « P. gurial. Hylcaon, Reich. Handb. Alced. p.18 (1851) . . . . . . . « « « BP. melanorhyncha. * Owing to a stain on the plumage of the specimen figured, the belly has in some of the plates of C. supereiliosa been represented as yellowish. b x CLASSIFICATION. Clavis specierum. a. Rostro nigro 4. Rostro rubro. a’. Scapularibus brunneis eee 2'. Scapularibus cyaneis vel viridi-cyaneis. a'. Capite haud pileato, collo postico concolori. a’, Major: supra viridi-cyanea . b". Minor: supra letissimé cyanea . b". Capite indistincté pileato, ochrascenti-cinereo . c". Capite distincté pileato. ce", Pileo haud eyaneo lavato. a", Pileo albescenti-cinereo b'"". Pileo brunneo. . aa. Major: viridis bb. Minor: cyaneo-viridis aces : d". Pileo pallidé brunneo, viridi-cyaneo distincteé aks ; . 1. melanorhyncha. . 2. amauroptera, . 3. gouldi. . 4, leucocephala. . 5. fraseri. . 6. burmanica. . 7. gurial. . 8. malaccensis. . 9. floresiana. It will always be a moot question whether several of the above species are not climatic modifications of one typical form; but I think, from the fact of each bird mentioned pos- sessing a certain clearly specified character, they may all be regarded as good species. Subfam. II. DacreLoniné. Conspectus generum Daceloninarum. a. Rostro longiore quam cauda. a’. Digitis tribus b'. Digitis quatuor. a. Halluce longiore quam digito interiore 6". Halluce digitum interiorem zquante. al". Tarso longiore quam halluce . b". Tarso hallucem equante 4. Rostro breviore quam cauda. a’. Culmine levi, rotundato. a". Rectricibus 12. a’, Commissuré serrata b". CommissurA integra. mm a'". Naribus linearibus. aa. Tarso breviore quam halluce cum ungue mensurato. a'. Commissura recta: sexibus similibus 6o'. Commissurd valdé curvaté: sexibus dissimilibus . 4b. 'Tarso longiore quam halluce cum ungue mensurato. cec’.. Rostro:simo..,.Ju..7 225i aa dd'. Rostro compresso, culmine rotundato. a, Commissura recta . 4b". Commissuré curvata 6. Ceyx. 7. Ceycopsis. 8. Myioceyz. 9. Ispidina. . 10. Syma. . ll. Haleyon. . 12. Dacelo. . 13. Todirhamphus. . 14, Monachalcyon. . 15. Caridonaz. CLASSIFICATION. xi b!'", Naribus parvis, oblongatis . . .... =. . . . 16. Carcineutes. Cree Gch chs’) wm alla paete Dalben yt iver «+ 17. Tanysiptera. b!. Culmine simo vel sulcato. e”. Culmine recto, mtegro. . . . ee tn ey pg LOr CHENG, d", Culmine versus apicem valdé eel et Fence. . . . . 19. Melidora. Although it is very difficult to determine some of the above genera, I firmly believe that they are all well established, the principal difference being found in the bill, as will be seen by a reference to the plate. As, however, these differences are those of degree, I have sought for secondary characters in my diagnosis of the genera, in order to aid the researches of the student. First of all we have the most Alcedinine-looking birds of the subfamily in the small section where the bill is longer than the tail; and it is here we must first look for the chain of affinity. This is speedily found in the genera Jspidina and Ceyx on the one hand, and in the genera Corythornis and Alcyone on the other. I have already spoken of the connecting links between Ceye and Alcyone; and it is not hard to find another direct affinity between Corythornis and Ispidina, not only in the genera, but in the species; for it would not be difficult to believe that Corythornis galerita and Ispidina leucogastra were one and the same species at no very distant period of time. Secondary facts tend to confirm this suggestion, especially since both species occur in the same limited district, being confined in their range to the countries and islands bordering on the bights of the west coast of Africa*. In ordinary specimens of C. galerita the difference is sufficiently striking; but sometimes the old birds get very white on the belly; and this circumstance, added to the fact that C. galerita has a shorter crest than the other two species of Corythornis, renders it by no means impossible to mistake an adult example for Jspidina leucogastra. Again, the last-named species exhibits a slight keel on the bill, and is partly piscivorous in habit; so that it is by no means certain that Prince Bonaparte and Mr. G. R. Gray are so very far wrong in placing it in Corythornis. Indeed the species may be considered either an aberrant Corythornis or an aberrant Ispidina. Let no one, however, suppose that, on account of this apparent connexion between the two genera, I consider them identical. Not in the least; for the true Jspidine, such as I. picta and J. natalensis, are entirely different in form and in habit. The Jspidine nest in holes of trees (never in banks), and, again, are purely insecti- vorous. Some, such as J. madagascariensis, are only found in the thick forests, while others frequent the banks of streams, but never feed on fish. ‘Two species, which I have included in the genus Jspidina in my ‘ Monograph,’ are so decidedly aberrant that, on account of their flat bills and longer tarsi, I propose to separate them under a distinct genus, which may be called Myioceyx. ‘The characters are given in the Plate of Genera (figs. 6, 6¢,6 6). Leaving Ispidina madagascariensis as the last of the Jspidinw, we have to consider now the next step in our approach to Melidora, the curious genus Ceycopsis from Celebes. ‘This appears to be a direct link between Jspidina and Ceyx, not only in form but also in combining the peculiar coloration of the two genera. The absence of true Ceyx from Celebes has always been noticed by Mr. Wallace and ourselves as a peculiar feature in the avifauna of that island ; * This we say advisedly ; for we do not believe that C. galerita really occurs in North-east Africa. 62 xii CLASSIFICATION. and we were therefore not a little interested when a Ceycean form turned up in that locality. Still more were we surprised on finding that it presented a recognizable link between the Ethiopian /spidinw and the Malayan Ceyces. ‘The bill partakes more of the form of the latter genus; but an inner toe is present as in [spidina, though very small. In ~ the Plate are representations of the bills and feet of the genera Ceycopsis (figs. 5, 5 a) and Ceyx (figs. 4, 4a), while a good figure of Ceycopsis fallax will be found in the body of the work. This concludes the consideration of the short-tailed Dacelonine genera, a synopsis of which I next proceed to give. Genus 6. Cryx. Type. Ceyx, Lacép. Mém. de YInst. 1801,p.511. . . ... =. =. . . i tridactyla, Ceycis, Gloger, Handb. der Naturg. p. 338.2) 52 2 ee ? Therosa, Miller, MS... 1) th) Oo a Re Se Clavis specierum. A. Capite et uropygio lilacinis : rostro corallino. a. Macula ad latera colli ceruleé nulla. a'. Scapularibus lilacinis. a". Tectricibus alarum rufis, haud ceruleo lavatis . . . . . 1. rufidorsa. b". Tectricibus alarum nigris ac rufis, ceruleo lavatis . . . . 2. sharpii. 6'. Scapularibus nigris ceruleo lavatis. . . . . . . . . . 8. dillwynni. 4. Macula ad latera colli cerulea. a'. Major: interscapulio et scapularibusrufis . . . . . . 4, melanura. b'. Minor: interscapulio et scapularibus nigris ceruleo ayaa . . 5. tridactyla. B. Capite nigro, ceeruleo aut cyaneo maculato: dorso postico et uropygio cyaneis, ultramarinis, aut argenteo-ceruleis. a. Rostro corallino. : a'. Rostro breviore: genis et regione parotica yi : dorso postico et uropygio argenteo-ceruleis . . . . . Ta. st Ae eee . Rostro longiore: genis et regione paroticé cyaneo aut ceruleo maculatis: dorso postico et uropygio cyaneis aut ultramarinis. a", Scapularibus nigris: dorso postico et uropygio leté cyaneis. 7. wallacii. b", Scapularibus czruleo lavatis: dorso postico ultramarino : uropygio cyanescente. | a'', Major: rostro robustiore: maculis loralibus majoribus : capitis summi maculis et interscapulio cerulescentibus . 8. lepida. "", Minor: subtts intensé aurantia: uropygio leté argente- SCONE) + 6 ha «cee ple 6 EgetiRcn gira? 6 oli int paige ae ann spre nigro: capite cyaneo Biactkto, '. Major: pectore et abdomine intensé rufs . . . . . . . 10. philippinensis. i) Minor: pectore et abdomine flavis: guldalbA . . . . . . 11. solitaria. CLASSIFICATION. xili Genus 7. Crycopsis. Type. Ceycopsis, Salvad. Atti R. Accad. Torino, 1869, p.447 . . . . . C. fallax. Species unica. Ceycopsis fallax (Schl. Ned. Tijdschr. 1866, p. 387). ‘ Genus 8. Myiocryx. Myioceyz, Sharpe, antea, p. xi . M. ruficeps. Clavis specierum. a. Capite rufo, fronte nigra . aie eee te We an. ruaficens. 6. Capite nigro, cyaneo fasciato. . . . . . . . . . . . « 2 leconiii. Genus 9. ISPIDINA. as : Type. Ispidina, Kaup, Fam. Eisv. p. 11 (1848). . . . . .. . . . FL picta. Clavis specierum. a. Dorso leté ultramarino. a’. Abdomine rufo. or eeteula auricular nally ie fs a ks La pita. 6". Maculé auricularicyaneA. . . . . . « . . . . . 2 natalensis. Cee eee AIO: weg ee en Ne SS 8. leucogastra. epee CUOIO, oo ee unl snes) «3 (U} } } Ce 4. madagascariensis. Genus 10. Syma. Type. marae, bers. Voy. Cog, 4. p.'688' (1828) . 9. . . « Y-. . .'°. SS. torotoro. The genus Syma is closely allied to Halcyon, from which it differs in its serrated bill. In plumage it closely assimilates to the cinnamon-coloured group of the genus Halcyon. Clavis specierum. GIGS ek Ta) yw ws deat wt ww 1. torotoro. b. Rostro flavo, versus apicem nigro . . ....... =. =. & flavirostris. Genus 11. Hatcyon. The genus Halcyon has been divided by systematic ornithologists into many genera, a careful examination of which convinces me that these differences are merely those of style of plumage, and not those of form. ‘The following table will indicate the manner in which these genera have been founded :— Type. Halcyon, Swains. Zool. Illustr. i. text to pl. 27 (1820) . . . . . . H. senegalensis. Entomothera, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p, 173, note (1820) . . . H. coromanda. XIV CLASSIFICATION. Calialcyon, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 156 (1850) . Chelicutia, Reich. Handb. Alced. i. p. 38 (1851) Actenoides, Hombron & Jacq. Voy. Péle Sud, Zool. iii. p. 100 (1853) Cancrophaga, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854) Cyanalcyon, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854) . Pagurothera, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 152 (1860) Entomobia, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 154 (1860) Sauropatis, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 158 (1860) Caridagrus, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 161 (1860) Astacophilus, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 162 (1860) . Clavis specierum. A. Rostro toto rubro. a. Pileo lilacino . ieee ‘ b. Pileo rufo-castaneo : fica posting leet’ inde aee. a'. Scapularibus castaneis, subtus alba. b'. Scapularibus viridi-cyaneis. a". Gutture et pectore medio albis b". Gula albi: pectore toto castaneo oh gee nigro: dorso postico ultramarino. . Abdomine cyaneo A Abdomine flaveanerianien d. Pileo albescente: dorso leté cyaneo. e'. Major: pileo albido: coloribus purioribus. f'. Minor: pileo cinerascente: coloribus dilutioribus . e. Pileo brunneo, distincté striato: rostro breviore. g'. Majores: scapularibus nigris. a'. Pectore brunneo striato bes Pectore unicolori . . Minor: scapularibus brunneis f. ute cinereo, thalassino lavato: pectore cinereo : ibatustne ssiddg albo B. Maxillé rubra: mandibuld nigra. a. Scapularibus leeté thalassino lavatis. a'. Major: pileo leté thalassino: paroticam producta . b'. Minor: pileo fusco-cinereo : 6. Scapularibus nigerrimis. ec’. Major: capite summo brunneo . d'. Minor: capite summo cinereo C. Rostro nigro vel nigricante, mandibuld ad wer pin etonnies a. Pileo albo . strigd nigra circa oculum eunte b. Pileo saturaté ultramarino. a'. Uropygio albo 4. Uropygio letissimé cyaneo. strigi nigré ultra regionem Type. H. coromanda. H. chelicutensis. H. hombroni. H. badia. H. pyrrhopygia. H. chelicutensis. H. cyaniventris. H. sancta. H. concreta. H. lindsayi. A Fans <5 . coromanda. . badia. . smyrnensis. . gularis. . cyanoventris. . pileata. . erythrogastra. . semicerulea. . albwentris. . orientalis. . chelicutensis. . senegaloides. . cyanoleuca. . senegalensis. . dryas. . malimbica. albicilla. leucopygia. CLASSIFICATION. XV a’. Scapularibus migerrimis .. 2) 29) file . .° 2.) 2a" By Clavis specierum. a. Plumis superciliaribus pallidé lilacmo-rubentibus . . . . . . . 41. cyanotis. 6. Plumis superciliaribus albo terminatis . . . . . . . . . . . 2. sanghirensis. The genus Cittwra has a remarkable bill, which is grooved along the culmen, as repre- presented in the Plate (fig. 16). Whether the beautiful C. sanghirensis is really a distinct species, or whether it is only the breeding-plumage of the ordinary C. cyanotis, remains to be seen; but that it is not confined to Sanghir is certain, from the fact of my having received it from Celebes on two different occasions. Mr. Renesse van Duivenbode also sent me a note to say that C. cyanotis varied much with the season of the year. Against the probability of the two species being identical must be mentioned the larger bill, black forehead, and white-tipped eyebrow, all of them conspicuous characters in C. sanghirensis. Genus 19. Me.ipora. Type. Melidora, Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 249 (1831) . . . . . . . +. « M. macrorhyncha. Species unica. M. macrorhyncha (Less. Voy. Coq. i. p. 692). In this genus we have the extreme type of the Dacelonine; and we have seen the bill, as the birds became more and more insectivorous, gradually go through various modifications, becoming more and more depressed, until in the present genus the groove, which was appa- GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. Xxi rent in the culmen of Cittura, is here more strongly developed, while the apex of the bill is furnished with a hook, which doubtless subserves some useful purpose in procuring food, with which we are at present unacquainted. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. Genus 1. ALCEDO. Range of the Genus. Over the greater part of the Old World, but does not extend into the Australasian Region proper—the furthest authentic range of an Alcedo being, so far as we know, into the Austro-Malayan subregion to New Guinea. Range of the Species. 1. Alcedo ispida. Over the whole of the Western Palearctic Region, but of rarer occur- rence in the north. Found in Northern Africa, and extends into Egypt and Palestine. Its range to the east is undetermined; but it is probably replaced throughout the Eastern Palearctic Region from Persia and Central Asia, by the next species. 2. Alcedo bengalensis. The representative of A. ispida, which it replaces in the east. It has been found to the westward as far as North-eastern Africa, having been met with in Egypt and the Sinaitic peninsula. Its eastern range extends over the whole of the Indian Region and into the Eastern Palearctic as far as Amoorland and Japan; but its extent in this quarter is not yet satisfactorily determined. It is also found distributed over the whole of the Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese subregions, and extends into the Austro-Malayan as far as Gilolo, where, however, it can only be a rare and occasional visitant. 3. Alcedo grandis. ‘The largest species of Alcedo yet discovered. As yet it has been only obtained in the Terai, below Dazjiling. 4. Alcedo moluccensis. Although belonging to the same section of the genus Alcedo as the foregoing, its nearest ally is Alcedo bengalensis, which it replaces in the Moluccas, where it is generally distributed, though, as far as we yet know, it is confined to the Austro- Malayan subregion *. 5. Alcedo quadribrachys. Confined to the Ethiopian Region, principally to the west coast, but has been known to occur in Natal once. Not yet met with in North-eastern Africa. 6. Alcedo asiatica. Generally distributed over the Indo-Malayan subregion, extending into the eastern part of India proper, and also into Cochin China. Found likewise in Celebes. 7. Alcedo semitorquata. Confined to the Ethiopian Region, over the whole of which it is distributed, but is more common in South Africa. * The locality, “ Flores” (Wallace), given in my account of this species should be expunged from the list of habitats, as I afterwards discovered that the bird brought by Mr. Wallace from this island was not the true A. moluccensis, but the bright race of A. bengalensis, named by Reichenbach A. sondaica, xxii GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 8. Alcedo euryzona. A very rare species, the young and old birds differing conspicuously. Entirely confined to the Indo-Malayan subregion. 9. Alcedo beryllina. A small species—indeed, the least of the genus. Confined to the southern islands of the Malayan subregion, where its range appears limited to Java and the small islands running to the eastward. The subjoined Table will give the best idea of the geographical distribution of the genus Alcedo. There are four groups in this genus, in connexion with which fact some interesting points will be noticed :—Ist, the four species of the Alcedo ispida group, which are distri- buted over nearly the whole of the Old World, but do not extend into the Australian Region proper, where their place is taken by species of Alcyone ; nor do they range into the Ethiopian Region beyond a very narrow limit in North-eastern Africa; 2nd, the species of the Alcedo asiatica group, of which there are two, one confined to the Indo-Malayan subregion, while the other occurs in Africa, no intermediate form being met with in the countries between. Were it not for the fact that M. Jules Verreaux tells me he has shot the African species in Natal, its range would be almost identical with that of Halcyon badia— another Kingfisher, of an Indian group, exclusively confined to a limited portion of Western Africa; 3rd, the single species Alcedo semitorquata, which is confined to the Ethiopian Region, where it seems to represent Alcedo bengalensis, as its range commences where that of the latter leaves off, and extends throughout the length and breadth of the African continent ; and, 4th, the species of the Alcedo beryllina group, of which there are two, A. ewryzona and A. beryllina. Both of these have white bellies with blue bands across the breast; both are confined to the Indo-Malayan subregion; both occur in Java, whence their ranges diverge— the one along the Malayan peninsula, the other to the small islands running to the east of Java, thus extending into the Austro-Malayan subregion. Table of the Geographical Distribution of the Genus Alcedo. | Panzarctic Region. sae Inp1an Region. Avustratasian Rucron. , | Indo-Malay Timor Moluecan Papuan | Asia.| “ Telands. Celebes. Group. |. Group. Islands. | / ——$—$$ — —— —— SS eee OS ae eR. g 3 é : Pp “ &o -_— 2/3 FI 2) ig £/2 DR E g S/5 ” ~ E . lo . . i a i} 2 2|.c - ls]. F S| 8/8] 4 l.gtalg g 3 Z Pe uy slag = lee (cB |e |e o Ss : = Ele|s| |¢| SLES 1 laisisis| |.| (sl 18 FI a) tae SISElIElelslelS(4/S iS leigisiél isisiei gis i6|¢ ais SlSIS|ESlslslslalelsle eslelsisle(seeis Sse | 8/8 3 5/2/-|Srslele ei | 2/31 8 ele elelE le tela | a sls lols lee” ABA IRA O lai | 1E 1a | EO ala [S| a lal O | A/S | |S le | WAIMDIOW santesusesans ee] ele | | 2. A. bengalensis ...... sneluashdeal We loan 6 ET cs lneadf ace * | | * Cae PE Hiden lh oelhen. o' Aaat BOOTIE oecnanvasscnlvauiivs aaalsvefsea{bsalp ea] eyell soe] cect], co aiiaeedtae 4. A. moluccensis ......|...]... vob bane leed ageless ¥en keall MeL eae 5. A. quadribrachys ...|...|... mpslaws| evel aes} ute AY | ER dl be 6, A, AMBER oiiccscoeseslecsiacs Hex henal veal agatval ceel] cee | eee] eee | one |] H [eee] 1] | H/T. | 7. A. semitorquata ...|...]... eas |evolsud|esstiens eee] He] [oe | eT | 8. A. euryzona ......... Re Pa oils eels auslene wevlf’ suet lonsiP ssi aoe" lloacleas #/*[*]... 9. A. beryllina ......... ee bse Pr) PES her bee Ree evel] exe | ¥o-, | o0e,] caoi||sen[naeloettese| Molina] ensivaal|\@eelfrane GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. Xxili From the foregoing Table it appears :— 1. That the genus d/cedo is not represented in the Nearctic and Neotropical Regions, nor in the Australian Region proper. 2. That the Palzarctic Region has one peculiar species, while one Indian species just reaches its north-eastern limit. 3. That the Ethiopian Region has two peculiar species, while one Indian species just reaches its north-eastern limit. 4. That the Indian Region has one peculiar species. Three others, which have their maximum range within its limits, wander slightly beyond the boundaries, and therefore cannot be called peculiar to the region. 5. That the Australian Region, or, more properly speaking, the Austro-Malayan subregion, has one peculiar species. Genus 2. CoryTHORNIS. Range of the Genus. Strictly confined to the Ethiopian Region. Range of the Species. 1. C. cristata. Found only in Madagascar and the adjacent islands. 2. C. cyanostigma. A bird of wide distribution over the entire African continent, but not extending to the Mascarene subregion, where it is replaced by C. cristata. 3. C. galerita. Confined to the west coast of Africa. Wherever it is found it appears that C. cyanostigma also occurs, with the exception of the islands in the Bight of Biafra, where C. galerita is found, but where C. cyanostigma has been only doubtfully met with. Table of the Geographical Distribution of the Genus Corythornis. EruiortaAn Recon. rth-ea : . Se st | East Africa. | South Africa. West Africa. Madagascar. | : a2 |. ; 3g b a|% SiN, 4 - y 5 . col 5 sheila Es § a/al2|. z § || 3 = ee | ra - Pa 4 ei > 3 lm |G |i “a g A ie) oh leg 8 a = 3 Ry PS) Sigisizicis 2 ‘aila|o|G 3 Biel siPlsislslisielalsillsials| Siz lal4 A 2151210 SISslfzlelSisigIislsiseiSicis Po ee ee B| Pe) 2 | BSS e Piel lel slelaisi2|2|eie13/ 31513 a s +3 = | a] | a 4|a|E A S B14 (6/5/2415 la la la ld [eld /a lS 1a lala 2 la |e | ae OS ee ee) ee ee eee eS ee Ee ee SS ee Ee ee ee ee eS ee ee eee ee eee ee ee ee | | sane eee ereeenee| see ae | eee nee * * * * * «| «| * x x) x}e] ele |e] x «|x le]el wel x] x Siar alee # * | * Genus 3. ALCYONE. Range of the Genus. Over the Australian continent, and throughout the Papuan Islands and Austro-Malayan XXIV GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. subregion generally, extending to the Philippine Islands, where an aberrant form occurs. It is doubtful whether the Philippine species of Alcyone really does not belong to Ceyx, so that true Alcyone may be said to be confined to the Australian Region. Range of the Species. 1. A. azurea. Spread over the entire Australian continent. 2. A. pulchra. Coexistent with A. azurea in the northern portion of Australia, and perhaps replacing it to the north-west. 3. A. diemenensis. The representative of A. azwrea in Tasmania. 4. A. lessoni. Inhabits New Guinea and the Aru Islands. 5. A. affinis. ‘The representative of A. lessoni in Batchian and Gilolo. 6. A. pusilla. The smallest species of the genus, inhabiting the northern portion of Australia, extending over the Papuan Islands as far north as Gilolo. 7. A. cyanopectus. Confined to the Philippine Islands; but the precise locality is unknown. Table of the Geographical Distribution of the Genus Alcyone. | AusTRALASIAN Reaion. INDIAN |) RecIon. |; | Moluccan Group. | Papuan Group. Australia. Philip- - : New Aru | Australia| North [Van Diemen’s pines. | Batchian. Gilolo. Guinea. | Islands. | generally. | Australia. Land. » AL AZUTOR, o...000c00c/ocedecceceee]|aceoesucle andapslsbuneeh tesa: ice aaeheeeel Saeeeaenenee + + P ZA. palohra © seccecse. | -scesaescecallsonveseenen esos] bansecsersed unsere coteee] coemeeneee ed Cannan tee ane * . A. diemenensis...... |. sce seccoseslleccoeceas acceweledaceseuaatl a cutee sei | Cee cake imal seme amare ea eee rae * 5» AS air a PoGac es lnk fetes eee * * oe. ee. eM é f VORBONA :6e5:005e000es|cvonpssexesclleocsengyscaaunel Seeneeneieee * * PUBLLID ieee wonennnsd-eesonsas se sl [Rt nesnaeeraanee * x a ce * “IAQ so Pooh | | Genus 4. CERYLE. Range of the Genus. Over the whole of the New World, where it is the only form of Kingfisher. In the Old World it ranges over the whole of the Ethiopian and Indian Regions, extending within the limits of the Palearctic Region in the south and north-east only. Does not extend into the Australian Region at all. The various groups, each of which possesses a peculiar style of plumage, as pointed out (anted, p. vii), have all been separated into distinct genera at one time or another; and it may be useful to make use of these divisions in the present instance, as geographical pecu- liarities are exemplified by some of the divisions of the genus here indicated. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. XXV Range of the Species. a. Megaceryle. 1. C. guttata. Confined to the Himalayan subregion. Its extent to the eastward not yet determined, but probably extending into China. 2. C. lugubris. Confined to Japan. Although treated as a separate species in the ‘Monograph,’ ornithologists must not consider it more than a local race of rather larger size than C. guttata, and should a large Pied Kingfisher be discovered in China, inter- mediate forms will doubtless be found to connect the two races. b. Ceryle. 3. C. rudis. Found throughout the Ethiopian and Indian Region proper, visiting the south and south-east of Europe. c Ichthynomus. 4. C. maxima. Found all over the Ethiopian Region. » 5. C. sharpet. A small form of C. maxima, but presenting apparently good specific cha- racters. At present known only from Gaboon and Congo. d. Streptoceryle. 6. C. torquata. Over the whole of the Neotropical Region, excepting the southern portion, where its place is taken by C. stellata. It ranges as far north as Mexico. 7. C. stellata. The representative of the foregoing bird in the southern part of the Neotropical Region. It can be scarcely considered more than a local race. 8. C. alcyon. Replaces C. torquata all over North America, extending southwards as far as Panama and the Antilles. e. Chloroceryle. 9. C. amazonia. Widely extended throughout the Neotropical Region, extending as far north as Mexico, and as far south as La Plata. 10. C. americana. Coexistent with the former over the Neotropical Region south of the Isthmus of Panama, but replaced by the next species along the western coast of the South-American continent. ; 11. C. cabanisi. The representative of C. americana along the western side of South America and through Central America as far north as ‘Texas. f. Amazonis. 12. C. inda. Over the greater part of the Neotropical Region, but not the south. Found also in Central America as far north as Nicaragua. d XXV1 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. *[eDoUIg | ‘ovssig, | “OZUOULBSEY) | ‘9u0eT BatoIg | ‘oaqury | -fuuog | *suoorome” | : ‘seuoUL “48 | : * ‘og opurusay | “uooqey | ‘osu0g | : * x =@oBuy | “epuvoT | : ‘paryerevurecy | : x: *purpenbemeyy yrary | ‘Tevasueay, | “erreyyey | ‘TREN | “Auojop adep | HLH) HLH) He) HL He | % 5 ee * *|* * Erurorran Recion. KL HL ML RL %) MH) HR) HI... “ISOquIeZ * * W. Africa. iB Africa. S. Africa. OTN OFAN. | ‘uRjopioyy | sreeuag | “ermissAqy | *purjsosog | ‘pLysi veg-poy | “equ | “wOLUY “I~ NC | N.-E. Africa. “eooeye yy | “vIsy esouryy | ‘yeu, | ‘sudeteunpy | x ‘uojday pur eipuy | INDIAN REGION. -ermejodosep | : “RLOUUIB TT JO BAG | : “Apworg | ‘spuRysyT URIOa.LYy | ‘tour wIsy |: vag | ‘outsole | : ‘qddagy | “ero5[V | ‘under | ok PaL#ARcTIC REGION. of | 9¢ | 9 | ge | 9] ae | 9 | 9 | oe |) oe | oe foe Toe fae |] ae | oe [oe | oe | ae | oe | oe | oe -uorfoaqng uvruodeyeg-ouolyp | Table of the Geographical Instribution of the Genus Ceryle. MOLSaIqnY URITIZeIg-yINOY | ee: “uorsoaqug uviuozeury | ns 2 ee NEOTROPICAL REGION “uoIsaIqng URIquNoD | sommuy | i? : “woLLOmLy peaquay | it : 3 “ROLLOUTY 40 NT | :: NEARCTIC Reaion. PE Rdg. fe Ss z S : ag S <5 2 Jeep 82 SF a Gea Rigas gOO Oo sP? aa 8 Has f. Amazonis. d. Streptoceryle. 12. C. inda 6.°C. torquata........-|.-. 7. C. stellata .. 80) sleyoni.:...-:.: e. Chloroceryle. 9:-C. amazonia ......| ... a LOC. americana’. ..s:5|5-- |'2..'| 25. U5 eg OF superciliosa ... aa 11. C. cabanisi ......... GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. XXVli 13. C. superciliosa. Coexistent with the former bird in the Neotropical Region and Central America, perhaps extending its range a little further north than that bird. Thus it will be seen that these subgenera have each a peculiar range—Megaceryle found only in the Himalayan subregion and Japan, true Ceryle in the Ethiopian and Indian Regions, Ichthynomus peculiar to Africa, and Streptoceryle, Chloroceryle and Amazonis to America. Genus 5. PELARGOPSIS. Range of the Genus. Over the entire Indian Region, extending to Celebes and Flores within the limits of the Australian Region. To this latter Region two species are peculiar, while the other seven are characteristic of the Indian Region. Range of the Species. a. Hylcaon. 1. P. melanorhyncha. Stands alone from all the rest of the genus by reason of its black bill. Confined to Celebes and the Sula Islands. b. Pelargopsis. 2. P. amauroptera. Found in Eastern India, extending into Assam, Arakan, and the Tenasserim Provinces. 3. P. leucocephala. Confined to Borneo. 4. P. gouldi. Representative of the foregoing in the Philippines. 5. P. fraseri. Found in Malacca, Java, and Sumatra. In this latter island the form slightly varies. | 6. P. gurial. All over India and Ceylon, extending into Assam and Nepaul, where perhaps a slight difference occurs; but having seen additional examples from these localities since I wrote my paper on the genus (P. Z. S. 1870, p. 61), I am inclined to believe that there is not any difference of importance, though the cap seemed to be a little lighter in the specimen I had before me at the time. 7. P. malaccensis. Representing the foregoing in Malacca. 8. P. burmanica. Representative of P. gurial in Burmah, Siam, and the Andamans. 9. P. floresiana. Represents P. gurial in Flores. d 2 XXViil GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. Table of the Geographical Distribution of the Genus Pelargopsis. Inpian Reaion. AusTRALIAN Reeron. Indian Asia. Chinese Asia. Indo-Malay Islands. Celebes. | Timor Group. | | | Z ee < a hes a 3 . | , ope s a POE = S| S §°g & so | & g ma |e = 4/8/8189 (18/3 /8lgelelas elsleieileleicle SISISIELELEI Z| s|S8 Gs S/E/si2Ziala|sisiz AldSijlalalsa l/s /H8|/2l ae Awialsa lala lola|js|e\a 1. P. melanorhyncha ......}......|-..++ PE RE FR FR Pe ee * | % [2 P. amauroptera ......... va ee |eneee- cM fees ta Reccey beta hee: * Nhs, Se OULETUR cons ssesscyetcwe| Sp oaeeiacrees|evness dave ssfonededfesenie| toevals| adeaes [ses ont| Soease|Uesaes| seated names * | 4. P. leucocephala ......... |.svscelesssns|eccsecjeccees[acceee[orceeclecesae[ssesedfrerecalsorsve]seseenlenenee * Disc MEGNL Gao tepeaccee ones tecees beste Li aadvcl ceaven] cccaas'| ised oe| Saamen] Meeeteel pene tial aa * a. Sumatran race ...|..... .|.-0-..|:a0csc}aasee force ca|necaan|nssnes|tecest| demens bossa * NG. We urial juosteckccascsneres fey ae | a. Assamese race ...|.....-|...+6+ x | * : | |Z. D. malaccensis .........00.]2.000-|s0sccefecesea|sensee|ssoese[asvene[ooeoseleasenc|esvees * | 8. P. burmanica ............ ES oe ho elie ie = * | *« | * 9. P. floresiana ..............- | ie, | eo | Sie | beasts PEE bear Poosed Panter bactied osscsd| becel bbased cancel soos. pee | Reece [eee * | | | Genus 6. Cryx. Range of the Genus. Over the greater part of the entire Indian Region, over the whole of the Indo-Malayan and Austro-Malayan subregions as far as New Guinea. Range of the Species. . 1. C. rufidorsa. Spread over the greater part of the Indo-Malayan subregion and extend- ing its range within the limits of the Austro-Malayan to the islands of Lombock and Flores. 2. C. sharpei. Confined to Borneo, where it probably represents C. rwfidorsa, which is rare there. . 3. C. dillwynni. Confined to Labuan and Borneo. It was discovered in the former island, but has since been obtained at Banjermassing, in Borneo. 4. C. melanura. Only found in the Philippine Islands. 5. C. tridactyla. Spread over India and Ceylon, extending into Nepaul and down the Malayan peninsula into the adjacent islands; also found in the Philippines. 6. C. eajeli. Confined to Bouru. 7. C. wallacei. Confined to the Sula Islands. 8. C. lepida. Commonly found in New Guinea, but has been sent from Ceram and Amboina. 9. C. uropygialis. The representative of the foregoing bird in Batchian, Gilolo and ‘Ternate. 10. C. solitaria. Principally found in New Guinea, but also sent from Ceram. 11. C. philippinensis. Confined to the Philippines. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. XX1X There are four groups of the genus Ceyx, as follows:—l. The C. tridactyla group, with red bills and lilac plumage. 2. C. lepida group, with red bills but blue plumage. 3. C. solitaria, with a black bill. 4. C. philippinensis, with a blackish upper and orange lower mandible. Of these four different forms, the first group is typical of the Indian Region, scarcely reaching into the Australian, where the second group takes its place, the third group, containing only one species, is almost confined to the Papuan Islands, while the fourth, represented by one species also, is confined to the Philippines, where it forms the link between the genera Ceyx and Alcyone. Table of the Geographical Distribution of the Genera Ceyx and Ceycopsis. Inpran Ruaton. AustrALiAN Rearon. Asia. Indo-Malay Islands. Celebes. | Timor Group.| Moluccan Group. Papuan Islands. g ce} a s Ep A m2 * : os a 4 a _ cae : Elalé d é| 5 & R8iSiai¢ SRR See tee fee be eel ate ye | | SB (Spelelel slsisis 8/2) 3/2] 8 lelslalgidis|4s}2e1e S (Sie ei elisleledieailalsl|fiSilsisiBlsislal2e]8) & S iSlalalislislalamlolalalal&e lsislalaldsi4|/ 4a) / 4 Crrx. MOS HORCOLSH, <.0-sc]ocneose00 36 ade ait ee | SRSA IEE eves levallisceesselosas'es * | * AMO TSHALDOL ce. ccenilocsesns0s * AO: GUL WYNN: ..200-|)ssn0ese0 * | * A ©, MEMMUTS ©; ....q)enve-2c.s * 5. C. tridactyla ...... * ed [oe aa ha ea eee | PERO CATHIG ces ccceatuselyscea-< Slinasuticoer| ites |Iiac= jooeiflaee| wen foes [bSte<\S-cfo4 Rocce PENS Peeps loess lama WARE * eos WHILACEL fue. 0s fucseecdcr| wool] te=lliens Spe ete] opel Pace = Pal | (ane fretelfisenl|| camtleas|[Uesanetnerefeecess|+< & = < a o 43 ee > 3 & ‘z Uae hese : ray can ee = S os = oO ro) o g DR =| r=] asa ay rs) . sa ec ° : 3 s 1D By iS) S o fA | om oe ks iS Ep oO S S = ond ° oS. = : = 8 so a - = as) = FI eS 5 > © .2. 88. Bs ee ap ae | 8 a he oS ° > a bb nd = = ° a a = = ~ 2 = at S : ok) mb © Ss s -¥ Oo <4 = O44 s OO HH kere ao 4 Case Toren ea) m ‘ / Fi / 1 oie They are all closely connected, inter se; and the link towards Halcyon seems to be in the lilac-backed section of the genus Ceya with the lilac-backed section of the genus Halcyon, where the tail is rather shorter than in most of the other members of the genus. Myioceyx I consider to be a modification of Jspidina, the difference in form of bill showing a peculiar adaptation to insect food. Unfortunately the two species of this genus are only represented by three specimens in the whole of the Museums in the world, so that nothing is known of their habits. I have already (anted, p. vii.) enlarged upon what I consider to be the links of connexion between the subfamily Alcedininw and Dacelonine, so that, as these conclusions carry us directly from Ceya and Ispidina direct to Aleyone and Corythornis, and thence to Alcedo, we have only two genera left, namely Ceryle and Pelargopsis. These two stand CONCLUDING REMARKS. xlvii apart from any other Kingfisher, but, by reason of their fishing-propensities and structure, apparently belong to the Alcedinine, of which they are the most aberrant forms. If we endeavour to draw a phylum whereby the affinities of the Kingfishers may be resolved, it would, I believe, take somewhat of the form opposite. A better idea may perhaps be gained by the accompanying map, which gives what I conceive to be a fair idea of the affinities of the Kingfishers at present existing. The nearest allies are several; and it is possible that a close study of each of the families Coraciade, Trogonide, Momotide, Galbulide, Bucconide, Meropide, and Bucerotide would give us data by which a clearer idea of the Fissirostral group of the Coccygomorphe might be obtained; and when that is done, it is possible that many of the conclusions deduced from a study of the Kingfishers alone may have to be modified. Lastly, there is one point to which I wish to draw attention; and that is the distribution of the two subfamilies; for it will at once be noticed that the Insectivorous Kingfishers have their greatest development in the Austro-Malayan subregion, while the piscivorous King- fishers are found all over the globe, except Oceania. It is a moot question whether I am right in supposing the Bucerotide to be the nearest allies of the Alcedinide ; but certain it is that the gradation of Kingfishers from the extreme development of piscivorous characters to the extreme form of Reptilivorous Dacelo is very gradual, even in the remains of the family now before our eyes; and the modification in the form of bill is also very plain, this organ being gradually more and more compressed as the genera become more piscivorous ; and if the insect-eaters are the oldest Kingfishers, we must assume that these peculiar forms were still highly developed at a very early epoch, and that from this origin a gradual modified type spread itself over the other regions. Only in the same way that Professor Huxley accounts for the distribution of Psittaculew, can the distribution of Ceryle be accounted for, and its isolated presence in the New World be explained, while the distrn- bution of Alcedo might also be accounted for by some such conclusion. It is, however, to wiser heads than mine that I leave the consideration of such matters. I have set before them to the best of my ability the facts connected with the Alcedinide as they exist at the present day, and I trust that some facts have transpired in the present work to conduce to the advancement of my favourite science, while for the shortcomings of the author I crave the leniency of the critic. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE OF GENERIC CHARACTERS. Fig. 1. Head of Alcedo ispida. la. Foot of Alcedo ispida. 2. Head of Corythornis cyanostigma. 3. Foot of Alcyone affinis. 4. Head of Ceyx lepida. 4a. Foot of Ceyx lepida. 5. Head of Ceycopsis fallax. 5a. Foot of Ceycopsis fallax. 6. Head of Myioceyx ruficeps. 6a. Beak of Myioceyx ruficeps. 6b. Foot of Myioceyx ruficeps. 7. Head of Lspidina picta. 7a. Foot of Lspidina picta. 8. Head of Syma flavirostris. 9. Head of Halcyon senegalensis. 9a. Foot of Halcyon senegalensis. 10. Head of Todirhamphus veneratus. 10 a. Foot of Todirhamphus veneratus. 11. Top view of skull of Ceryle alcyon. 12. Top view of skull of Pelargopsis fraseri. 18. Head of Monachalcyon monachus. 14. Head of Caridonax fulgidus. 15. Head of Carcineutes pulchellus. 16. Head of Cittura cyanotis. 17. Head of Melidora macrorhina. 18. Head of Dacelo leachi. 19. Tail of Tanysiptera galatea. GENERIC CHARACTERS or ALCEDINIDA PUT Ee ere Ee I HAVE been induced to go rather fully into the subject of the works examined in connexion with the present Monograph, under the impression that a literary history of the Alcedinide will be of use to the future student of the family. I have had the advan- tage of the Zoological Society’s Library at my command; and I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude for the facilities afforded me by Dr. Sclater and the Council for pursuing my studies while in their service. In order to render the treatment of the subject more plain, I have adopted the method of the characterization of ornithological detail perfected by my friends Professor Newton and Dr. Hartlaub in their Zoological Records. Linnzvs, C. Systema Nature, tom. i. 8vo, 1766, p. 178. The genus Alcedo is described. The following species are included :— 1. Alcedo cristata; 2. A. inda; 3. A. ispida; 4. A. erithaca; 5. A. madagascariensis; 6. A. superciliosa; 7. A. aleyon; 8. A. torquata; 9. A. capensis; 10. A. senegalensis; 11. A. smyrnensis; 12. A. rudis; 13. A. dea; 14. A. paradisea; 15. A. galbula. Of these, A. erithaca and A. dea (ex Briss. and Seba) are not determinable, while A. paradisea and A. galbula are not Kingfishers, but Jacamars (Galbulide). All the others are recognizable at the present day. VosmMaER, A. Beschryving van twee zeer fraaie, Kortstaartige Oost-Indische Ys-Vogeltjes, 4to, 1768. A plate of these two Kingfishers is given, showing them to be Ceyx tridactyla as and Ceyx rufidorsa, Strickl. Pautuas, P. S. Spicilegia Zoologica, Fasc. 6, 4to, 1769. Alcedo tridactyla is a new species. Alcedo maxima is a new species from the Cape of Good Hope. Lata, Dr. J. General Synopsis of Birds, vol. ii. 4to, 1772, p. 607. The author enumerates the following species, to which, however, he does not apply Latin appellations. Those in italics not determinable :— 1. Great Brown Kingfisher (ex Sonn.). 2. Cape Kingfisher (A. capensis, Linn.). 3. Great African Kingfisher (4. maxima, Pall.), cum var. A (ex Buff. Pl. Enl. 679=Ceryle maaima (Pall.)). 4. Black and White Kingfisher (A. rudis, L.). 5. Egyptian Kingfisher (ex Hasselq. It. p. 245). 6. New Guinea Kingfisher (ex Sonn. Voy. p. 171, t. 107). 7. Smyrna Kingfisher (A. smyrnensis, L.), cum var. A, Great Gambia Kingfisher. Latham g l LITERATURE. takes his English names from a plate of Edwards (vol. i. pl. 8). On turning to this bird I find that it is not a recognizable species. It would do for Pelargopsis amauroptera, but for the fact of the black depicted on the wing. It looks like a manufactured bird, made up of the above-mentioned Pelargopsis with the body of some African species, perhaps H. senega- lensis or H. dryas. Latham refers as a synonym of this bird to the Grand Martin-pécheur de Madagascar of Buffon (Pl. Enl. 232). This, however, is a good species, and bears the name of Halcyon gularis (Kuhl); var. B of his Smyrna Kingfisher (from Albin’s marvellous figure, vol. iii. pl. 28) is the true H. smyrnensis. 8. White-headed Kingfisher (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 190). 9. Crab-eating Kingfisher (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 183); (a) var. A (ex Linn. S. N. i. p. 180)=H. senegalensis (L.); (6) var. B ex ins. St. Jago=WH. erythrogastra (Temm.); (c) var. C (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 194)=H. semi- caerulea (Forsk.). 10. White-collared Kingfisher. 11. Green-headed Kingfisher, “ Bouru ” (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 190). 12. Sacred Kingfisher (descr. orig.), ex ins. Soc.; cum var. A= H. sacra (Gm.), ad.; var. B (pl. xxvii.), “ Ulietea” (=H. sancta, V. & H.); var. C, “New Zealand "=H. vagans (Less.); var. D, ex Sonn. Voy. p. 67, t. 33,=H. chloris (Bodd.). 13. Venerated Kingfisher, “‘ Apye” (descr. orig.). 14. Respected Kingfisher (descr. orig.). 15. Black-capped Kingfisher (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 189); var. A, ex Sonn. Voy. p. 65, t. 31,= H. albiventris (Scop.). 16. Common Kingfisher (A. ispida, L.), var. A, Le Martin Pescheur du Senegal, Briss. Orn. iv. p. 485, no. 7. pl. 39. fig. 1. 17. Red-headed Kingfisher (A. erithaca, L.); var. A=Ceya tridactyla. 18. Purple Kingfisher. 19. Rufous Kingfisher (A. madagascariensis, L.). 20. Blue-headed Kingfisher (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 198). 21. Indian Kingfisher (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 201). 22. Crested Kingfisher (A. cristata, L.); var. A, ex Seba (=Corythornis cyanostigma (Riipp.). 23. Eastern Kingfisher (ex Brisson). 24. Ternate Kingfisher (A. dea, L.). 25. Cayenne Kingfisher (ex Brisson). 26. Cinereous King- fisher (A. torquata, L.). 27. Belted Kingfisher, var. A; var. B=A. alcyon, L.; var. C is indeterminable. 28. Brazilian Spotted Kingfisher. 29. Rufous and Green Kingfisher (ex Buff. Ois. vii. p. 215)=Ceryle inda (L.). 30. White and Green Kingfisher, “ Cayenne,”= Ceryle americana (Gm.). 31. Brazilian Kingfisher (ex Brisson). 32. Spotted Kingfisher {ex Edwards, pl. 335)=Ceryle inda (L.). 33. Surinam Kingfisher (ex Fermin, Voy. Surin. ii. p. 181)= Ceryle inda (L.). 34. Supercilious Kingfisher (A. superciliosa, L.). 35. White- billed Kingfisher (ex Seba). 36. Three-toed Kingfisher. Forskat, P. Descriptiones Animalium, ed. Niebuhr, 4to, 1778 (p. 2). Alcedo semicerulea is described as a new species from Yemen, in Arabia. Miter, P. L. S. Linné vollstiindiges Natursystem, &c., 8vo, 1776. Alcedo rubra is the name assigned to the bird figured by Vosmaer (Nat. Besch. Vog. pl. 3). It is a Galbula. Alcedo galerita is the name given to the bird figured by Buffon (Pl. Enl. 356. fig. 1). This name stands. Alcedo leucocephala is the name given to the bird figured by Buffon (Pl. Enl. 356. fig. 2). It is the Alcedo semicwrulea of Forskal. LITERATURE. li Alcedo aurea is the name given to the bird figured by Vosmaer (Nat. Besch. Vog. pl. 2). It is a Galbula. Bopparrt, P. Table des Planches Enluminéez d’Histoire Naturelle de M. Daubenton: folio. Utrecht, 1783. In this work, which is extremely rare, names are given to Buffon’s plates. Alcedo gigas (p. 40) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 663). Alcedo fusca (p. 54) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 894). Alcedo pileata (p. 41) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 673). Alcedo guttata (p. 42) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 679). Alcedo rubra (p. 48) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 778. fig. 2). Todus pictus (p. 49) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 783. fig. 1). Alcedo chloris (p. 49) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 783. fig. 2). Alcedo javana (p. 47) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 757). Alcedo nigra (p. 22) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 756. fig. 1). This name must surely have been a misprint. Alcedo viridirufa (p. 36) is a new species (ex Buff. pl. 592). Scopout, J. A. Delicie Flore et Faune Insubrice, Pars 2, folio. Ticini, 1786. Latin titles are given to the birds described by Sonnerat in his ‘ Voyages.’ They are as follows :— Alcedo coromandeliana, Scop. (ex Sonn. Voy. Ind. ii. p. 212, pl. 118)=Merops coromandus (Lath.). Alcedo albiventris, Scop. (ex Sonn. Voy. N. Guin. p. 64, pl. 31)= Halcyon albiventris (Scop.). Alcedo tridactyla, Scop. (ex Sonn. Voy. N. Guin. p. 66, pl. 832)=Ceyxr tridactyla (Pall.)? Alcedo collaris, Scop. (ex Sonn. Voy. N. Guin. p. 67, pl. 33)=Halcyon chloris (Bodd.). Alcedo undulata, Scop. (ex Sonn. Voy. N. Guin. p. 170, pl. 106)=Dacelo gigas (Bodd.). Gue.in, O. F. Linnei Systema Nature, tom. i. 8vo, 1788 (p. 447). In this work all the Linnean species are enumerated, and titles given to Latham’s species described in the ‘ General Synopsis.’ Alcedo orientalis is the name proposed for Latham’s “‘ Eastern Kingfisher.” This bird I cannot determine. Alcedo surinamensis is proposed for Latham’s “ Surinam Kingfisher.” It is Alcedo inda, L. Alcedo purpurea (ex Latham’s “ Purple Kingfisher”)= Alcedo tridactyla, Pall. Alcedo cwruleocephala (ex Latham’s “ Blue-headed Kingfisher”)=Alcedo galerita, Mill. Alcedo bengalensis is a new species founded on Latham’s “ Indian Kingfisher.” Alcedo leucorhyncha (ex Latham’s “ White-billed Kingfisher”). Indeterminable. Alcedo brasiliensis (ex Latham’s “ Brazilian Kingfisher”). Indeterminable. Alcedo americana is a new species founded on the “ White and Green Kingfisher” of Latham. Alcedo bicolor (ex Latham’s “ Rufous and Green Kingfisher” )=Alcedo inda (L.). q 2 lil LITERATURE. Alcedo maculata (ex Latham’s “ Brazilian Spotted Kingfisher”) is not recognizable. Alcedo cayennensis (ex Latham’s “‘ Cayenne Kingfisher”). Not distinguishable. Alcedo atricapilla (ex Latham’s “ Black-capped Kingfisher”)=A. pileata, Bodd. Alcedo atricapilla, var. 8 (ex Sonnerat)= A. albiventris (Scop.). Alcedo venerata is a new species founded on Latham’s “ Venerated Kingfisher.” Aleedo sacra is a new species founded on Latham’s “ Sacred Kingfisher.” Alcedo sacra, var. 3, is the adult A. sacra. Alcedo sacra, var. y (ex Latham’s “ Sacred Kingfisher,” var. B)=H. sancta, V. & H. Alcedo sacra, var. 8 (ex Latham’s “Sacred Kingfisher,” var. C)=H. vagans, Gray. Alcedo sacra, var. e (ex Sonn. Voy. N. Guin. p. 67, pl. 33)=A. chloris, Bodd. Alcedo chlorocephala (ex Latham’s “‘ Green-headed Kingfisher”)= A. chloris, Bodd. Alcedo coerulea (ex Latham’s “‘ White-collared Kingfisher”). Indeterminable with cer- tainty. Alcedo fusca (ex Latham’s “ Great Brown Kingfisher”)= Alcedo gigas, Bodd. Alcedo maxima (ex Latham’s “‘ Great African Kingfisher ”)=Alcedo maxima, Pall. Alcedo maxima, var. B=Ceryle maxima (Pall.). Alcedo leucocephala is a new species. It is Latham’s “ White-headed Kingfisher.” Alcedo flavicans is described for the first time. The subject of the description (though the fact is not acknowledged) is the bird called Ten-rou-joulon by the natives of Celebes (cf. Buff. Ois. vii. p. 191). The whole story appears a fabrication. Alcedo nove quince (ex Latham’s “ New Guinea Kingfisher”). Indeterminable. Alcedo wegyptiaca (ex Latham’s “ Egyptian Kingfisher”). Indeterminable. Alcedo grandis (ex Latham’s “ Great Jacamar”) is a Galbula. LatuAM, Dr. Index Ornithologicus, 4to, 1790 (p. 245). In this volume the author brings the synopsis of the Kingfishers down to the time of writing, and here he first assigns Latin appellations. For most of the birds, however, described by him in the ‘General Synopsis’ Gmelin had already given names, which are allowed by Latham in the present ‘Index.’ I shall therefore only give the few titles which are here assigned for the first time. Alcedo gigantea (ex “ Great Brown Kingfisher” of the ‘General Synopsis’)=Alcedo gigas, Bodd. Alcedo cancrophaga (‘* Crab-eating Kingfisher”). Indeterminable. Alcedo coromanda is the name proposed for Sonnerat’s Martin-Pécheur violet de la cote de Coromandel. Alcedo amazonia is the name proposed for the “ Amazonian Kingfisher” (Lath. Suppl. to Syn. p. 116). Suaw and Nopper. Vivarium Nature, or ‘The Naturalist’s Miscellany,’ 24 vols. 8vo. 1790-18138. Alcedo cristata is figured (vol. i. pl. 15). Alcedo ispida is figured (vol. iv. pl. 129). LITERATURE. hii Alcedo? pusilla is figured (vol. v. pl. 159), =Ispidina picta. Alcedo cerulea is figured (vol. viii. pl. 269). Indeterminable. Alcedo erithaca is figured (vol. ix. pl. 317). Apparently Ceyx tridactyla, but is repre- sented with four toes. Alcedo atricapilia is figured (vol. xii. pl. 265). Alcedo chlorocephala is figured (vol. xiii. pl. 525). Alcedo tribrachys is figured (vol. xvi. pl. 681). Alcedo leucocephala is figured (vol. xix. pl. 793). Alcedo smyrnensis is figured (vol. xix. pl. 825). Alcedo inda is figured (vol. xxi. pl. 889). Alcedo ultramarina is figured (vol. xxi. pl. 901). The scientific value of this work is very small, as all the figures and descriptions are taken from the works of Buffon, Albin, Edwards, &c. LatuaM, H. Supplement II. to the General Synopsis of Birds, 1801 (p. xxxii). Alcedo azurea is the name proposed for the “‘ Azure Kingfisher” (Lath. Syn. Suppl. p. 372). Lac&pEpe. Mémoires de |’Institut, 1801, p. 511. The genus Ceyx is founded. Davpin, F. M. Description d'un Guépier et d'un Martin-pécheur d’Afrique (Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. ii. p. 440, 1803). Alcedo ultramarina is a new species. It is Jspidina picta (Bodd.). Bren, C. L. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte aller Vogel Deutschlands, 8vo. Ilmenau, 1811. Alcedo subispida (p. 149) and A. advena (p. 150) are described as distinct from A. ispida. Suaw, Dr. G. General Zoology, vol. viii. part 1, Aves, 8vo, 1812 (p. 52). All the names of the previous writers are introduced, the new ones proposed being :— Alcedo afra= Alcedo maxima, Pall., as is admitted by the author. Alcedo malimbica (ex Le Martin-pécheur de Malimbe of Sonnini) is described. Alcedo javanica (ex Buff. Pl. Enl. 757)=Pelargopsis leucocephala (Gm.). Alcedo capistrata (ex Latham’s “ White-collared Kingfisher”). Indeterminable. Alcedo tribrachys=Alcedo azurea, Lath. Sranuey, Lord. Appendix to Salt’s Travels in Abyssinia, 1814. Halcyon chelicuti is a new species (p. lvi). Leacu, W. E. Zoological Miscellany, 8vo, vol. ii. 1815 (p. 125). Dacelo is a new genus. The type is the Alcedo gigantea of Lath. (Alcedo gigas, Bodd.). Vieitt0t, J. P. Nouveau Dictionnaire d’Histoire Naturelle, tome xx., 1818 (p. 394). Alcedo carulescens is a new species from Timor. liv LITERATURE. Alcedo cyanoleuca is a new species from Angola. Alcedo cinereifrons is a new species from Malimba. It is A. malimbica of Shaw. Alcedo rubescens is a new species from Paraguay (ex Azara). It is Alcedo americana of Latham. Alcedo nutans is a new species from Malimba. It is Alcedo picta of Boddaert. Alcedo cyanoventris is a new species from Java. Alcedo viridis is a new species from Paraguay. It is Alcedo americana of Gmelin. Alcedo beryllina is a new species from Java. It is A. cwrulescens (supra). Alcedo australasia is a new species from ‘‘ Australasia.” Kua, H. Buffoni et Daubentoni figurarum Avium coloratarum nomina systematica, ed. Th. van Swinderen. 4to. Groninge, 1820 (p. 4). Alcedo gularis is a new species (ex Pl. Enl. 232). Dumont. Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles, xxix. p. 472 (c. 1820). Alcedo vestita, “ Cuv.” is a new species. It is Ceryle amazonia (Lath.). Alcedo ruficeps, “ Cuy.” is a new species. It is H. cinnamomina, Sw. Swainson, W. Zoological Illustrations, vol. i. (1820-21). Alcedo asiatica is a new species from Java. Alcedo azurea is figured (plate 26). Halcyon is a new genus; type H. senegalensis (L.). Halcyon collaris is figured (plate 27). Zoological Illustrations, vol. ii. (1821-22). Halcyon cinnamominus is a new species from “ New Zealand.” It is figured (plate 1). —-. Zoological ustrations, vol. iii. (1822-23). Alcedo semitorquata is a new species from the Fish River, Cape Colony. It is figured (plate 26). HorsrigtD, Dr. Tos. Systematic Arrangement and Description of Birds from the Island of Java (Linn. Trans. xiii. p. 133, 1822). Alcedo meninting (p. 172) is a new species, = Alcedo asiatica, Swains. Alcedo biru (p. 172) is a new species, = Alcedo cerulescens, Vieill. Entomothera (p. 173) is a new genus, formed for the reception of Kingfishers intermediate between Alcedo and Dacelo. The type is Alcedo coromanda (Lath.). Alcedo melanoptera (p. 174) is a new species, = Halcyon cyanoventris (Vieill.). Dacelo pulchella (p. 176) is a new species. LiciitenstEIN, Dr. H. Verzeichniss der Doubletten des Zoologischen Museums: small 4to. Berlin, 1823. Alcedo striolata is a new species from Senegambia. It is the same as Alcedo chelicuti of Stanley, from Abyssinia. LITERATURE. ly BonnaTERRE et ViEmLLoT. Tableau Encyclopédique et Méthodique des trois Régnes de la Nature—Onnithologie, 1** partie, 4to, 1823 (p. 281). A complete compilation, the only new species described being :-— Alcedo cinerea (p. 286)=Alcedo torquata, L. Alcedo taparara (p. 293). “La Guyane, Cayenne.” Indeterminable, but not an American Kingfisher. Alcedo cyanea (p. 395, ex Azara)=Alcedo torquata, L. Alcedo variegata= Alcedo chelicuti, Stanl. Alcedo tricolor. Indeterminable. Temmince, C. J. Nouveau Receuil de Planches coloriées d’Oiseaux, vol. iv. folio, 1823- 1836. Thanks to the pains taken by Mr. Crotch (Ibis, 1868, p. 500), we are now acquainted with the dates at which the livraisons of this work were issued. Although some of the Kingfishers were described as early as 1823, they do not seem to have been known to Bonnaterre and Vieillot; nor do these authors appear to have been acquainted with the present work. Ceyx lepida is a new species from Amboina. Ceyx solitaria is a new species from the Bay of Lobo, in New Guinea. Ceyx pusilla is a new species from the same locality. Figures of all three species are given. Alcedo lugubris is a new species from Japan, of which a figure is given. Alcedo biru and Alcedo meninting are figured. Alcedo melanorhyncha is a new species from Celebes: a figure is given. Alcedo omnicolor is a new species described and figured for the first time under the above MS. name proposed by Reinwardt. It is Halcyon cyanoventris (V.). Alcedo diops is a new species from ‘‘ Amboina, Timor, and Celebes.’ All these localities are erroneous. Alcedo lazuli is a new species from “ Sumatra.” ‘The locality is erroneous. Figures’ of both species are given. Alcedo euryzonia (err. eryzona) is a new species described, but not figured, from Java. Dacelo cyanotis is a new species from “Sumatra.” The locality is erroneous. Dacelo concreta is a new species from Sumatra. Dacelo pulchella, Horsf., is figured. Dacelo buccoides is a new species from “ Java and Sumatra.” It is the female Dacelo pulchellus (Horsf.). Figures of all the above-mentioned birds are given. Quoy et Gaimarp. Voyage autour du Monde, éxecuté sur les corvettes l’Uranie et la Phy sicienne, Zoologie: 4to. Paris, 1824. Dacelo gaudichaud is a new species from the Papuan Islands (Planche 15). lvi LITERATURE. Srepuens, J. F. General Zoology, commenced by the late George Shaw, M.D., &c. Vol. xiii. part 2, Aves: 8vo. 1825. A yery fair résumé of the species of Kingfishers, those of Swainson and Temminck described up to the present date being included. Ceyx luzoniensis is the name proposed for Shaw's Alcedo tridactyla. It is the true Ceyr tridactyla (Pall.). Vieittot, L. P. Galerie des Oiseaux, 4to, vol. i. Paris, 1820. Alcedo cinereifrons is figured (pl. 187). Alcedo gigantea is figured (pl. 188). Jarpive, Sir W., and Sexsy, P. J. Illustrations of Ornithology, 4 vols. 4to. 1825-1839. Ceyx azurea is figured (pl. 55. fig. 1). Ceyx tridactyla is figured (pl. 55. fig. 2). This is the true C. rujidorsa, Strickl. Halcyon sanctus, ad. et juv., are figured (pls. 96, 97). Halcyon macleayi is a new species, figured (pls. 100, 101). Riprett, E. Atlas zu der Reise im nérdlichen Afrika. Voégel bearb. von Dr. Ch. Cretz- schmar. Folio. Frankfurt a. Main, 1826. Dacelo pygmea, Cretzsch., is a new species from Kordofan and Eastern Abyssinia. It is the Alcedo chelicuti of Stanley. Lesson, R. P. Voyage autour du Monde sur la Corvette ‘La Coquille.’ Zuologie, vol. i. 4to. Paris, 1826 (p. 684). Syma is a new genus. The type is Syma torotoro, sp. n., from New Guinea. Dacelo macrorhinus is a new species from New Guinea. Alcedo vagans is a new species from New Zealand. Vicors, N. A., and HorsrreLp, Tuos. Description of the Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. (Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 170, 1827.) “ Dacelo leachii, Lath. MSS.,” is described as a new species for the first time. Halcyon sanctus is a new species. Lesson, R. P. Sur le genre Todirhamphus. (Mém. Soc. d’Hist. Nat. Paris, iii. p. 11, 1828.) The full description of the genus is given. The type is 7. divinus, Less., =T. veneratus (Lath.). This and 7. tutus compose the known members of the genus. Bor, F. Bemerkungen iiber mehrere neue Vogelgattungen. (Isis, 1828, p. 312.) The genus Ceryle is founded. The type is C. rudis. Vicors, N. A. On Birds from the Himalayan Mountains. (P. Z.S. 1830, p. 22.) Alcedo guttatus is a new species. LITERATURE. lvii Vigors, N. A. On a Collection of Birds from Manilla, presented by H. H. Lindsay, Esq. (P. Z. S. 1830-31, p. 97.) , Dacelo lindsayi is a new species. Dacelo lessonii is a new species. It is the young of the former bird. Smitu, Dr. A. Contributions to the Natural History of South Africa. (S. Afr. Quart. Journ. no. 5, p. 14, 1831.) Alcedo natalensis is a new species. Lesson, R. P. Traité d’Ornithologie. 8vo. Paris, 1831 (p. 240). Dacelo actwon is a new species. It is Halcyon erythrogastra. Choucalcyon is a new genus. The type is Dacelo gaudichaudi. Melidora is a new genus. The type is Dacelo macrorhinus of Lesson, for which the name of Melidora euphrasie is now proposed. Kurriitz, F. H. von. Kupfertafeln zur Naturgeschichte der Vogel. 8vo. Frankfurt am Main, 1832. Alcedo collaris is figured (t. 14. fig. 1). Alcedo rujirostris is figured (t. 14. fig. 2). Alcedo ispida is figured (t. 29. fig. 1). Alcedo bengalensis is figured (t. 29. fig. 2). Alcedo cristata (auct. nec Linn.) is figured (t. 29. fig. 3). Lesson. Centurie Zoologique. 4to. Paris, 1832 (p. 36). Halcyon atricapilla is figured, and is called Alcedo brama on the plate. Govtp, Jony. Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains. Folio. 1832. Alcedo guttatus is figured. LarresNAye. Le Martin-chasseur a coiffe brune. (Mag. de Zool. 1833, pl. 18.) Dacelo fuscicapilla is a new species. It is the Alcedo albiventris of Scopoli. Meyen, F. J. F. Observationes Zoologicee. (Nov. Act. Acad. Ces. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. Band xvi. Suppl. 1, 1834.) Alcedo stellata (pl. xiv.) is a new species from Chili. Pearson, J. T. Catalogue of Birds in the Museum of the Asiatic Society. (J. A.S. B. x. 1835, p. 628.) Halcyon amauroptera is a new species. Halcyon gurial is a new species. Riprett, Dr. E. Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien geho6rig—Vogel. Folio. Frankfurt am Main, 1835. Alcedo semicerulea, Forsk., is figured. Alcedo cyanostigma is a new species. lvili LITERATURE. Smitn, Dr. ANDREW. On South-African Birds, &c. (S. Afr. Quart. Journ. 1836, p. 143.) Halcyon swainsonii is a new species. Halcyon senegaloides is a new species. (Figured, Ill. Zool. S. Afr. pl. 68.) Texmunck, C. J. Tableau Méthodique. Folio. Paris, 1836. Alcedo melanoptera is a new species (nec Horsf.). It is A. gularis of Kuhl (p. 79). Alcedo erythrogaster is a new species from St. Jago (p. 79). Bonaparte, C. L. On Mexican Birds. (P. Z.S. 1837, p. 108.) Ceryle torquata is described as a new species. (This must be in error, as it is the Alcedo torquata of Linnzus; but the statement “Ceryle torquata, nob.,” is distinct enough in type.) Govup, J. On New Australian Birds. (P. Z.S. 1837, p. 142.) Halcyon incinctus is a new species, closely allied to Halcyon macleayii. (Afterwards recognized as the female of that species.) Burton, StaffSurgeon. On New Birds from the Collection at Fort Pitt, Chatham. (P. Z.S. 1837, p. 89.) Ceyx microsoma is a new species. It is Ceya tridactyla (Pall.) Swatysoy, W. Natural History and Classification of Birds (Cabinet Cycl.), vol. 1. (1837) p-. 334. Syma lessonia is the name proposed for S. ¢orotoro, Less., the reason for the change not being given. Alcyone is a new genus. ‘The type is A. australis, Sw., =Alcyone azurea (Lath.). Halcyon rufirostris is named from Buffon’s 232nd plate. It is H. gularis (Kuhl). Swaiyson, W. Birds of West Africa, vol. ii. 12mo. 1837 (p. 93). Ispida gigantea is a new species. It is the Alcedo maxima of Pallas. A figure is given (pl. 2); but the back, which is described as “spotted with white,” is not thus depicted in the plate. Ispida bicincta is a new species. It is the Ceryle rudis (L.). Halcyon torquatus is a new species. It is the Alcedo malimbica of Shaw. Ilalcyon rufiventer is a new species, but is not distinct from the Abyssinian 1. semicwrulea. Halcyon cyanotis is a new species. It is Ispidina picta (Bodd.). GovuLp, J. On the Fissirostres collected by Mr. Darwin. (P. Z. 8. 1837, p. 22.) Halcyon erythrorhynchus is a new species from the Island of St. Jago. (It is the H. ery- throgastra of Temminck.) LAFRESNAYE. Oiseaux nouveaux. (Rev. Zool. 1838, p. 224.) Dacelo ruffulus is a new species. It is the Alcedo madagascariensis of Linneus. Mituer, 8S. Verhandelingen over de Naturlijke Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche oberzeesche bezittingen—Land- en Volkenkunde. Folio. Leiden, 1839-44. Halcyon coronatus is a new species (p. 175). LITERATURE. lix Eyton, T. C. Catalogue of a Collection of Birds from Malaya. (P. Z. S. 1839, p. 101.) Halcyon varia is a new species. It is the young of Halcyon concreta, Temm. Jerpon, T.C. Catalogue of the Birds of SouthernIndia. (Madr. Journ. Lit. & Sci. 1839-44.) Halcyon brunniceps is a new species. It is Pelargopsis gurial (Pears.). Govu.p, J. On new Birds from Australia. (P.Z.S. 1840, p. 113.) Halcyon pyrrhopygia is a new species. LAFRESNAYE, Baron DE. Sur une nouvelle espéce du genre Ceyz. (Rev. Zool. 1840, p. 33.) Ceyx cyanopectus is a new species. Gray, G. R. Remarks on a Specimen of Kingfisher, supposed to form a new species of the genus Tanysiptera. (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1841, p. 257.) Tanysiptera nympha is a new species. Homeron et Jacquinor. Description de plusieurs oiseaux nouveaux ou peu connus, pro- venant de lexpédition autour du monde faite sur les corvettes ‘L’Astrolabe’ et ‘La Zélée.’ (Ann. Sci. Nat. n.s. xvi. p. 315, 1841.) A bird is described from the Tonga Islands as Alcedo diophthalmo-rufo-ventro (!) It is H. macleayii, the locality being doubtless erroneous. SrrickLanp, H. E. Commentary on Mr. G. R. Gray’s ‘Genera of Birds. (Ann. Nat. Hist. vi. p. 410, 1841.) Ceryle varia is a new species. Fraser, L. Zoologia typica. Folio. 1841-42. Alcedo leucogaster, Fraser, is figured. LarresNayE. Descriptions de quelques Oiseaux nouveaux. (Rev. Zool. 1842, p. 134.) Todirhamphus recurvirostris is a new species. Govup, J. On new Australian Halcyonide. (P.Z.8. 1842, p. 72.) Halcyon platyrostris is a new species from the Navigators’ Islands. It is the same as Halcyon recurvirostris from the Navigators’ Islands. Halcyon sordidus is a new species from the north coast of Australia. Fraser, L. On new Species of Birds from Fernando Po. (P. Z.S. 1843, p. 4.) Halcyon leucogastra is a new species. It is an Lspidina. Goutp, J. Onnew Species of Birds collected during the recent Voyage of H.M.S. ‘ Sulphur.’ (P. Z. S. 1843, p. 103.) Halcyon saurophaga is a new species from New Guinea. It is Halcyon albicilla, Less. Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. ‘Sulphur’—Birds. Royal 4to. 1844. Halcyon saurophaga is figured. h2 lx LITERATURE. Forster, J. R. Descriptiones Animalium, curante H. Lichtenstein. 8vo. Berolini, 1844. Alcedo cyanea is a new species. It is Halcyon vagans (Less.). Tscuub1, J. J. von. Untersuchungen tiber die Fauna Peruana. Folio. St. Gallen, 1844-46 (p. 253). Alcedo cabanisii, “ Linn.,” is a new species. I have followed ornithologists generally in giving Herr von Tschudi credit for this species, as I can hardly suppose that the celebrated German ornithologist after whom it is named was known to Linneus! It is, of course, a lapsus calami, but it reads curiously. Buiyru, E. Notices and Descriptions of various new or little-known Species of Birds. (J. A.S. B. xiv. 1845, p. 190.) Alcedo grandis is a new species, from Darjiling. Gov.p, J. Descriptions of eleven new Species of Australian Birds. (P. Z.S. 1846, p. 19.) Alcyone pulchra is a new species from Port Essington. Alcyone diemenensis is a new species from Tasmania. Buiyru, E. Notices and Descriptions of various new or little-known Species of Birds. (J. A.S. B. xv. 1846, p. 11.) Alcedo moluccensis is a new species. Todirhamphus occipitalis is a new species Pee the Nicobars. It is probably H. chloris, but may prove to be distinct. Gray, G. R., and MitcHett, D. G. Genera of Birds, vol. i. Small folio. 1846-47. A résumé of the family is given, the genera being as follows:—Dacelo, with 6 species; Tanysiptera, with 2 species; Halcyon, with 48 species; Ceyx, with 2 species; Alcedo, with 19 species, six of which are considered doubtful; Aleyone, with 6 species; and Ceryle, with 15 species, one of which is doubtful, and four very doubtful. Of the eleven Kingfishers thus enumerated as irrecognizable by Mr. Gray, I have been able to make out four satisfactorily. The plates, for which alone Mr. Mitchell is responsible, represent the young of Halcyon lindsayi and Ispidina picta. Figures of the characters of the various genera are also given. Buiytu, E. Report of Curator, Zoological Department. (J. A.S. B. xvi. 1847, p. 1180.) Alcedo nigricans is a new species. Kaup, J. Die Familie der Eisvégel (Alcedidew). 8vo. Darmstadt, 1848. Megaceryle is proposed as a subgenus for the reception of Ceryle guttata &c. Chloroceryle for the reception of C. superciliosa &c. Cittura for Dacelo cyanotis. Corythornis is a new genus, the type of which is Alcedo nais, sp. n., described from a specimen in the British Museum. It is the young Corythornis galerita. Ispidina is a uew genus, the type being J. picta (Bodd.). Ispidina nitida is also a new species, the type of which is in the British Museum. It is Ispidina natalensis (Smith). —* LITERATURE. lxi Goutp, J. Birds of Australia, vol. ii. Folio. 1848. Beautiful plates of Dacelo gigantea, D. leachii, D. cervina, Halcyon sanctus, H. pyrrhopygia, H. sordidus, H. macleayii, Aleyone azurea, A. pusilla are given. Dacelo cervina is described for the first time. Gray, G. R. List of Specimens of Birds in the Collection of the British Museum. 12mo. 1848 (p. 51). The specimens in the British Museum are here enumerated. ‘The types of Halcyon albicilla, Gould, H. superciliosa, Gray, Alcedo nais and A. nitida of Kaup, and Halcyon platyrostris, Gould, are the most noticeable rarities. Halcyon superciliosa is here mentioned for the first time, though no description is given. It is the true Alcedo sacra of Gmelin. Peas, TiT1AN. United States Exploring Expedition—Birds. Folio. Philadelphia, 1848. I have never seen this book ; but from Dr. Hartlaub’s critical notes on it (Archiv f. Naturg. 1852, p. 93) it appears that Dacelo nullitorquis was described as a new species. It is Todirhamphus veneratus (Lath.). Dacelo vitiensis is a new species. It is Halcyon sacra (Gm.). . Dacelo minima is a new species. It is Todirhamphus recurvirostris, Lafr. Dacelo coronata is a new species. It is Halcyon sacra (Gm.). JARDINE, Sir W. Illustrations of Ornithology. 8vo. 1848-1852. Alcyone cincta is a supposed new species, and is figured under this name on the plate. Afterwards identified with A. eyanopectus, Latr. Alcedo quadribrachys is figured (pl. 79). Buytu, E. Catalogue of the Birds in the Museum of the Asiatic Society. 8vo. Calcutta, 1849 (p. 46). Twenty-five species are named; one more is added in the first appendix, and one more in the addenda to appendix, no. 1 (p.iii). In the further addenda to appendix, no. 3 (p. xxvii), Mr. Blyth believes A/cedo grandis, Bl., to be the adult, and A. nigricans, Bl., to be the young of Alcedo euryzonaot Temminck. This view is correct as regards A. nigricans; but Mr. Blyth has since altered his opinion as regards A. grandis. Gou.p, J. On new Species of Birds from Australia. (P.Z.S. 1850, p. 200.) Tanysiptera sylvia is a new species from Cape York. Halcyon (Syma?) flavirostris is a new species from the same locality. Cassix, Joun. Descriptions of new Species of Birds of the Genera Paradisea, Pastor, and Buceros, and a proposition to rename others of the genera Alcyone and LHirundo. (Proc. Phil. Acad. 1850, p. 67.) A. azurea, apud Lesson, from New Guinea has been mistaken for the true A. azurea of Australia, and is proposed to be called A. lessonit. Ixii LITERATURE. Bonaparte, C. L. Conspectus generum Avium. Royal 8vo. 1850 (p. 153). Halcyon melanops, Todiramphus forsteni, and Alcedo quadribrachys are new species, described for the first time under the MS. names bestowed on the specimens in the Leyden Museum by Temminck. Todiramphus funebris is described for the first time under the MS. name bestowed by Forsten on a specimen in the Leyden Museum. Halcyon lilacina is the name proposed for the small race of Ruddy Kingfisher. It is the true H. coromanda (Lath. ex Sonn.). Halcyon schlegeli is a new species from Japan. It is the large race of H. coromanda (=H. coromandeliana major, Schl.). Actenoides hombroni is the name proposed for Actenoides variegata of Hombron and Jacquinot. The arrangement of the species under the various genera and subgenera is fairly open to criticism ; but as the author amplifies his views in a more recent publication, we shall not attempt many remarks on the present occasion. As regards the number of species admitted, 92 in all, lam prepared to admit all but 10, viz.:—1. Haleyon striolata (= Halcyon pygmea); 2. Halcyon cancrophaga, indeterminable ; 3. Halcyon fusca=H. smyrnensis; 4. H. schlegeli= II. lilacina; 5. Todirhamphus chlorocephala=T. collaris; 6. Todiramphus varius= Halcyon concreta; 7. Ceya purpurea=Ceyx tridactyla; 8. Alcedo cerulea, indeterminable; 9. A. vintsioides=A. cristata; 10. A. nais= A. ceruleocephala. So that we may fairly state that, in the year 1850, out of the number of Kingfishers recognized at the present day, 82 were then known to science. Reicuensacn, Dr. L. Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie—Alcedinez. 8vo, with royal 8vo atlas. Dresden, 1851. A compilation from the works of previous writers, from whose plates the figures accom- panying the present ‘ Monograph’ have been derived. Many new genera are proposed, few of which hold good, while some of the names are so ill-chosen as to be positively unaccept- able even to stringent observers of the rule of priority of nomenclature. One hundred and six species are enumerated, of which several are proposed as new; but not one of them is good. Alcedo pallasii is a new species from Eastern Europe. It is not distinguishable from A, ispida. Halcyon irrorata is the name proposed for Smith’s H. senegaloides. Rhamphalcyon is a new genus. It is Pelargopsis of Gloger. Hylcaon (!!) is a new genus for the reception of the Alcedo melanorhyncha of Temminck. Ceryle leucomelanura is a new species from Ceylon. I cannot see any distinction between it and ordinary C. rudis. Amazonis is a new genus formed for the reception of Ceryle inda and C. superciliosa. It is not structurally different from true Ceryle. Monachalcyon is a new genus, of which the type is Dacelo gaudichaudi. Another species LITERATURE. [xiii is MW. princeps. Dacelo gaudichaudi is a true Dacelo, and not in the least congeneric with Monachalcyon princeps, which is really the type of a distinct genus. Chelicutia is a new genus. The type is Alcedo chelicuti of Stanley. This name is of course ignored in the new genus, which has no structural peculiarities to separate it from Halcyon. Lacedo (!!) is a new genus, the type of which is the Dacelo pulchella of Horsfield. Megaceryle cwsia and M. domingensis are new species. They are difficult to distinguish from the plates, but seem to be Ceryle torquata and C. alcyon. Chloroceryle leucosticta and C. chalcites are new species. They appear to be C. amazonia and C. americana. Verreavx, J. & E. Description d’espéces nouvelles, rares ou peu connues, d’oiseaux de Gabon. (Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 264.) Halcyon badia is a new species. De ta Berce. Description d’une nouvelle espéce de Martin-pécheur. (Rev. Zool. 1851, p- 305, pl. 9.) Alcedo verreauaii is a new species from Borneo. It is the female of A. asiatica. Cassiy, J. Catalogue of the Halcyonide in the Collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 8vo. 1852. A very good collection is contained in the Philadelphia Museum, the most noticeable rarities being all the types of Mr. Gould’s Australian species, as follows:—Alcyone pusilla, Halcyon pyrrhopygia, H. sordidus, Syma flavirostris, Dacelo cervina, Tanysiptera sylvia. Besides these the Museum also contains the type of Alcyone lesson. SrrickLAND, H. E., and Sciater, P. L. List of a Collection of Birds procured by Mr. C. J. Andersson in the Damara Country in South-western Africa. (Contr. to Orn. 1852, p- 141.) Halcyon damarensis, Strickl., is a new species. It seems to be nothing more than a large South-African race of H. chelicutensis. Hartiavs, Dr. G. Bericht iiber die Leistungen in der Naturgeschichte der Vogel wihrend des Jahres 1851. 8vo. Berlin, 1852. In a review of “the Alcedinew” of Reichenbach’s ‘ Handbuch,’ the author believes that a bird figured by him as H. cinnamomina, from the Marquesas Islands, is really not that species; and he proposes to call it H. reichenbachii. Homsron, H., et Pucnpran, Dr. Voyage au Péle Sud et dans l’Océanie—Zoologie, tome iii. Mammiferes et Oiseaux. 8vo. Paris, 1853, And folio Atlas of Plates (1842-53). The plates were evidently published before the letterpress, as two Kingfishers are figured lxiv LITERATURE. as new—le Martin-chasseur de Salusse, afterwards found to be Dacelo cervina, Gould, anu the Acténoide variée, which was named in the text Actenoides variegata, but had been pre- viously described by Prince Bonaparte as Actenoides hombroni. PucneraN, Dr. Etudes sur les Types peu connus du Musée de Paris. (Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1853, p. 384.) A very valuable essay on the types in the Paris Museum. a. Types of Cuvier. Ceyx purpureus comprises two distinct species, viz. Ceyx tridactyla (Pall.), and C. rujfi- dorsa, Strickl. Alcedo vestita is not recognized by Dr. Pucheran, but is evidently Ceryle amazonia. Alcedo ruficeps is Halcyon cinnamomeus (lege cinnamomina). Alcedo albicilla is supposed by Dr. Pucheran to be different from Halcyon saurophaga of Gould, but in my opinion is identical. b. Types of Vieillot. Alcedo cerulescens is the A. birw of Horsfield. Alcedo australasie is H. coronata, Miller. Both of Vieillot’s names stand. c. Types of Lesson. Alcedo azureus is A. semitorquata, Swains. Dacelo albicilla is Alcedo albicilla of Cuvier, and the var. A and B of Lesson are only the young of the same bird. Dacelo actwon is Halcyon semicerulea (Gm.) apud Pucheran; but as the type is from the Cape-Verde Islands it must belong to the closely allied but larger H. erythrogastra (Temm.). Mi.ier, Baron J. W. von. Beitrage zur Ornithologie Afrika’s. Folio. Stuttgart, 1853, 1854. Halcyon dryas is figured (Lief. iii.). Bonapartr, C. L. Conspectus Volucrum Anisodactylorum. 8vo. 1854 (p. 9). A brief synopsis of the family is given, the number of genera recognized being 26. The paper is full of errors as regards the correct types of the different genera. Callalcyon is a new genus, recognized as such for the first time, although previously used as a subgenus in the ‘ Conspectus.’ Cancrophaga is a new genus for the reception of the African Halcyones. The type is H. badia, Verreaux. Halcyon cancrophaga (Lath.) is proposed to be called Cancrophaga lathami. Unfortunately, however, Latham’s species cannot be identified. Cyanalcyon is a new genus. ‘Type C. pyrrhopygia (Gould). LITERATURE. lxv LicuTensTEIN, Dr. H. Nomenclator Avium musei zoologici berolinensis. 8vo. Berlin, 1854. Ceryle abyssinica is a new species, named but not described. It is not different from Halcyon chloris. ReIcHENBACH, Prof. D. L. Zur Synonymik sumatranischer Vogel. (Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 148.) This article has reference to a paper published in the ‘Jahresbericht’ of the Natural- History Society of Emden, entitled “ Verzeichniss der von dem Herrn Major Kreling zu Padang im J. 1852 geschenkten Vogel,” &c. Among those mentioned by Kreling is a sup- posed new species of Kingfisher, which he calls Alcedo puella. Professor Reichenbach identifies it as Halcyon pileata. I have never seen the original paper. HorsrFiE.p, T., and Moorz, F. Catalogue of the Birds in the Museum of the Hon. East- India Company, i. p. 122 (1854). Eighteen species are represented in the collection. Hartiaus, G. Versuch einer synoptischen Ornithologie Westafrica’s. (Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 1.) Halcyon dryas is a new species from Prince’s Island and St. Thomas. Mize, Baron J. W.von. Systematisches Verzeichniss der Vogel Afrika’s. (Journ. f. Orn. 1858, p. 1.) A complete list of the Kingfishers of Africa is given. Twenty-seven kinds are enumerated, eight of which are not entitled to a place as separate species. Verreaux, J. and E. Description d’oiseaux nouveaux de | Afrique méridionale et occi- dentale. (Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1855, pp. 270, 352.) Notes on the habits of Halcyon dryas, Ispidina cyanotis, and Corythornis cristatus (auct. nec Linn.) are given. Cassin, Jonny. Descriptions of new Species of African Birds in the Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, collected by Mr. P. B. Du Chaillu in Equatorial Africa. (Proc. Phil. Acad. 1856, p. 156.) Ispidina lecontei is a new species from the Moonda River. Harriavs, Dr. G. System der Ornithologie Westafrika’s. 8vo. Bremen, 1857. A complete handbook to the avifauna of Western Africa. ‘Twenty-three species of King- fishers are recorded as occurring in this region; but this number must be reduced by seven, viz. Halcyon cancrophaga (Lath.), Alcedo senegalensis, and Ceryle tricolor, which are inde- terminable, while Halcyon rufiventris=H. semicerulea, Alcedo nitida is not West African, but is A. natalensis, A. nais=A. ceruleocephala, and Ceryle gigantea=C. maxima. Add as distinct Halcyon erythrogastra (Temm.) from the Cape-Verde Islands, and the number of West-African Kingfishers will be found to be seventeen. U Ixvi LITERATURE. GouLp, Jonn. Description of three new and very beautiful Species of Birds from Guatemala and from the Island of Lombock. (P. Z.S. 1857, p. 65.) Contains a description of Halcyon fulgidus from Lombock; type of the genus Caridonaxr of Cabanis and Heine (Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 162, 1860). VERREAUX, J. Description d’Oiseaux nouveaux. (Rey. et Mag. de Zool. 1858, p. 305.) Cyanalcyon leucopygius is a new species from the Solomon Islands. Gray, G. R. List of the Birds, with Descriptions of new Species, obtained by Mr. Alfred R. Wallace in the Aru and Ké Islands. (P. Z.S. 1858, p. 169.) | Dacelo tyro is a new species. It is figured (pl. cxxxiii.) from Aru. Halcyon sordida is a variety of the true H. sordida (afterwards named Sauropatis grayi by Cabanis and Heine). Tanysiptera hydrocharis is a new species. Cassin, Jonny. U. S. Exploring Expedition—Mammalogy and Ornithology. Royal 4to. Philadelphia, 1858. After giving the species obtained by the Expedition, the author produces an admirable essay on the genus Todiramphus (auct. nec Less.), which clears up a great deal of confusion, but, from insufficient material at the author’s command, is defective in some few points. Gray, G. R. Catalogue of the Birds of the Tropical Islands of the Pacific Ocean in the Collection of the British Museum. $8vo. 1859. Halcyon (Actenoides) jacquinoti is supposed to be a new species, founded on a bird men- tioned by Hombron and Jacquinot (Ann. Sci. Nat. n.s. xvi. p. 315). ——. List of Birds lately sent by Mr. A. R. Wallace from Dorey, or Dorery, New Guinea. (P. Z.S. 1859, p. 153.) Tanysiptera galatea is a new species. Heine, F. Ueber einige neue oder weniger bekannter Vogel des ‘*‘ Museum Heineanum.” (Journ. f. Orn. 1859, p. 406.) Tanysiptera margarethe is a new species. Uraleyon is a new genus. The type is Tanysiptera sylvia, Gould. GovuLD, J. Birds of Asia, part xii. Folio. June Ist, 1860. Dacelo tyro, Halcyon atricapillus, H. fulgidus, and H. omnicolor are figured. Caxanis, Dr. J., and Herne, F. Museum Heineanum, Theil ii. 8vo. 1860 (p. 143). Containing a list, with full synonymy, of the various species contained in Heine’s Museum. Notes on allied species are added; and altogether this work is one of the most valuable and careful expositions of the family Alcedinide ever published. LITERATURE. Ixvii Alcedo sondaica is recognized as a distinct species from A. bengalensis. It is the Alcedo bengalensis, var. sondaica of Reichenbach. Ceryle varia, Strickl., is the name retained for the eastern form of C. rudis. Ichthynomus is a new genus. The type is Ceryle maxima of Pallas. Pagurothera is anew genus for the reception of the section of the genus Halcyon with striped heads, of which H. chelicuti is the type. Chelicutia of Reichenbach is synonymous ; but this name is rejected as “ barbarous.” Entomobia is a new genus for the reception of certain eastern Halcyones. E.. cyanoventris is the type. Sauropatis is a new name proposed instead of the usually assigned name of T'odirham- phus auct. (nec Less.), which is considered “barbarous.” The type is Sawropatis sancta (V¥.& H.). Sauropatis grayi is a new species from the Aru Islands. It is the H. sordida of Gray (nec Gould). Caridagrus is a new genus formed for the reception of C. concretus (Temm.). Astacophilus is a new genus for the reception of A. lindsayi (Vig.). Caridonasx is a new genus for the reception of C. fulgidus (Gould). Carcineutes is a new genus for the reception of C. pulchellus (Horsf.). It is the genus Lacedo of Reichenbach, this name being too “ barbarous” to be entertained. Sauromarptis is a new genus for the reception of S. gaudichaudi (Q. & G.). Paralcyon is the genus employed instead of Dacelo, Leach, which is considered “ bar- barous.” Herve, F. Ueber zwei neue Waldlieste (Sauropatis). (Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 183.) Sauropatis julie is a new species from New Hebrides. S. Reichenbachii is Todirhamphus cinnamominus, Reich., from the Marquesas Islands (nec H. cinnamomina, Sw.). Herr Heine seems unaware that Dr. Hartlaub had already separated this bird under the self-same name. Gray, G. R. List of Birds collected by Mr. Wallace at the Molucca Islands, with Descrip- tions of new Species (P. Z. 8. 1860, p. 341). Tanysiptera nais is a new species from Amboina. T. isis is a new species from Batchian and Gilolo. It is 7. margarethe of Heine. T. sabrina is a new species from Kaioa Island. Ceyx uropygialis is a new species from Batchian and Ternate. Alcyone affinis is a new species from Batchian. Govutp, J. Birds of Asia, part xiii. May Ist, 1861. Halcyon fusca and H. gularis are figured. ——. Birds of Asia, part xiv. May Ist, 1862. Alcedo bengalensis is figured. - Ixvili LITERATURE. Wattace, A. R. On some new or rare Birds from New Guinea. (P. Z. S. 1862, p. 164.) Halcyon nigrocyanea is a new species, of which a figure (of the female) is given (pl. xix.). List of Birds collected in the Island of Bouru. (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 18.) Tanysiptera acis is a new species. Ceyx cajeli is a new species, of which a figure is given. A complete list of the species of Tanysiptera is given. ScHLEGEL, H. Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle des Pays-Bas—Alcédines. Mai 1863. A résumé of all the species contained in the great collection at Leyden. The author divides the family into two genera, Alcedo and Dacelo, using the generally accepted genera in a subgeneric rank only. The following points call for remark. Alcedo cyanostigma (p. 11) is considered distinct from A. cristata (auct. nec Linn.), of which it is the young. Alcedo amauroptera is considered to be the same as A. leucocephala; but it is a good species, as Professor Schlegel now freely admits. Alcedo picturata is a new species from South Africa. It is A. natalensis, Smith. Alcedo lecontei is not that species, but A. ruficeps, Hartl. Dacelo tyro is considered to be a stage of plumage of D. gaudichaudi, but is afterward admitted to be distinct. Dacelo grayi is a new species from New Hebrides. It is the Sawropatis julie, Heine. Dacelo sacra is not the true H. sacra, but is Todirhamphus tutus (Gm.). Only four species of Tanysiptera are recognized—the single remark we have to make being that, although 7. sabrina is united to T. doris, Professor Schlegel had at that time not seen the true 7’. sabrina, which is from Kaioa. Dacelo rubra is Ceyx tridactyla (Pall.). Hevaun, Tu. von. Ueber Alcedinen und Meropiden Nordost-Afrika’s. (Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 329.) A list of the Kingfishers of North-eastern Africa is given, with their geographical distribution. ScoLEGeL, H. De Vogels van Nederlandsch Indié. Royal 4to. Haarlem, 1864. Mono- graphie 2. Ijsvogels (Martins-pécheurs). A résumé in Dutch and French of all the Kingfishers found in the Dutch possessions in the East Indies. It is derived from his former list of Alcédines in the Catalogue of the Leyden Museum, and is accompanied by excellent figures of all the species treated of. Prizetn, A. von. Reise der dsterreichischen Fregatte ‘ Novara’—Vogel. 4to. Wien, 1865. A list of the species obtained by the Expedition is given. Good notes are published on Halcyon chloris and Todirhamphus veneratus. ScuteGeL, H. Observations zoologiques, II. (Nederl. Tydschrift voor de Dierkunde, vol. iii. p. 187, 1865-66.) Dacelo fallax is a new species. LITERATURE. lxix ScHLEGEL, H. Notice sur le sous-genre Tanysiptera. (L.c. p. 269.) A most elaborate and exhaustive article, based upon the material in the Leyden Museum. The object is to show that there are only three or four species, and not so many as are admitted by Mr. Wallace and myself. VeRREAUX, J. Description de quelques oiseaux nouveaux appartenant a la collection zoologique du Muséum. (Nouv. Arch. du Mus. ii. Bull. p. 21, 1866.) Tanysiptera riedeli is a new species. Digeizs, 8. Ornithology of Australia. Small folio. Queensland, 1867-69. Part 1. Dacelo gigantea is figured. Part 2. Halcyon sanctus and H. macleayi are figured ; but the figure of the former bird is taken from a young H. macleayi. Part 12. Dacelo leachii is figured. Part 15. Tanysiptera sylvia, ad. et juv., is figured. Finscu, O., and Hartiaus, G. Beitrag zur Fauna Centralpolynesiens; Ornithologie der Viti-, Samoa- und Tonga-Inseln. 8vo. Halle, 1867. The Kingfishers are here most elaborately treated, the synonymy being carefully worked out. Halcyon pealei (p. 39) and H. cassini (p. 40) are described as new; but I believe them to be only stages of H. sacra. LayarD. Birds of South Africa. 8vo. Cape Town, 1867. A list of South-African Kingfishers is given (cf. Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 275). BocacE, J. V. Barspoza pu. Aves das possessdes portuguezas da Africa occidental que existem no Museu de Lisboa. (Jorn. Acad. R. das Sciencias de Lisboa, 1867, i. p. 129.) A list of the species in the Lisbon Museum is given. Suarrg, R. B. On two new or little-known Kingfishers belonging to the Genera Ceyx or Cittura. (P. Z.S8. 1868, p. 270.) Ceyx wallacei is a new species from the Sula Islands. Cittura sanghirensis is a new species from Sanghir. GovuLp, Jonny. Description of a new Species of the Genus Ceya. (P.Z.S. 1868, p. 404.) Ceyx philippinensis is a new species from Manila. Snarpe, R. B. On the Genus Ceyr.. (P. Z.S. 1868, p. 587.) A list of the species known up to date is given. Ceyx dillwynit is a new species from Labuan. Prrers, W. Vorlaufige Mittheilung iiber einige neue Vogelarten aus Mossambique. (Journ. f. Orn. 1868, p. 131.) H. orientalis is a new species from Inhambane. lxx LITERATURE. GouLp, J. Description of Ceryle sharpii, a new Species fromt he Gaboon. (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1869, p. 271.) Ceryle sharpei is described. ——. Description of a new Species of Dacelo from North-western Australia. (P. Z. S. 1869, p- 602.) Dacelo occidentalis is described. SHARPE, R. B. On the Kingfishers of South Africa. (Ibis, 1869, p. 275.) Critical remarks on the Alcedinide of Mr. Layard’s book. SatvaporI, T. Monografia del genere Ceyx. (Atti del R. Accad. delle Scienze di Torino, iv. 1869, p. 440.) Ceycopsis is a new genus. The type is Dacelo fallax of Schlegel. Ceyx sharpei is a new species from Borneo. It is figured, and stated to have been con- founded by Reichenbach under the name of C. tridactyla. < if Ceyx innominata is a new species. It is the C. rufidorsa auct., nec Strickl.; but an examination of the type at Cambridge shows that it is also C. rufidorsa of Strickland (cf. Sharpe, P. Z.S. 1869, p. 510). The above is one of the best papers ever written on any of the genera of the Alcedinida, — and is very exhaustive. SuarPe, R. B. Additional Notes on the Genus Ceya. (P. Z. 8. 1869, p. 507.) Critical remarks on Count Salvadori’s paper above mentioned. On a new Kingfisher belonging to the Genus Tanysiptera. (P.Z. 8. 1869, p. 630.) Tanysiptera ellioti is a new species. Gray, G.R. Hand-list of Genera and Species of Birds, Part I. 8vo. 1869. A complete list of Kingfishers is given up to the present date. Alcedo hartlaubi is a supposed new species from Ashanti; but I cannot see the distinctness from true Corythornis cyanostigma. SuarPe, R. B. On the Genus Pelargopsis. (P.Z. 8. 1870, p. 61.) An attempt to clear up the confusion existing respecting the Kingfishers of the genus Pelargopsis. P. gouldi is a new species from the Philippines. P. fraseri is the P. leucocephala auct., nec Gm., from Java. It is also the true Alcedo capensis of Linneeus; but as no such bird exists at the Cape of Good Hope, the name cannot be retained. P. burmanica is a new species. P. floresiana is a new species. P. malaccensis may be regarded as a subspecies of P. gurial, but may have to be separated as a species. LITERATURE. lxxi Finscu, Dr. O., and Hartiaus, Dr. G. Ornithologie Ost-Afrika’s. (Von der Decken’s Reise, iv. p. 163, 1870.) Halcyon chelicutensis is the more grammatical reading proposed for H. chelicuti (Stanl.). SuarPe, R. B. A Monograph of the Alcedinide, or Kingfishers. Imp. 8vo. Published by the Author, 1868-71. Tanysiptera emilie is a new species from Raou. Pelargopsis malaccensis, provisionally separated (P. Z. S. 1870, p. 67), is declared to be a good species. PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. ALERE FLAMMAM. [ee + < 2 a wt ae By Ning * } 4 et, Me i Tt oe ‘) Haireay Veen: Vee P oS! SUB-FAMILY ALCEDININ A. eo i ALCEDO ISPIDA. Peta ty DO eee DA. (COMMON KINGFISHER.) Alcedo ispida . ‘ , : - : Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 179 (1766). Alcedo subispida ; ‘ ‘ F , Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. I, p. 149 (1831). Alcedo advena . : : : : : Brehm, Vég. Deutschl. I, p. 150, t. XI, fig. 2 (1831). Alcedo pallasii . : , ; ; ; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 3, t. ecexcii, fig. 3043-44, t. ecexciii, figs. 3045-46 (1851). A. torque pectorali nulli: abdomine leté castaneo: tectricibus alarum cyaneo conspicué terminatis: regione parotica rufa: major: rostro brevi: supra viridi-cyanea: capite cyaneo fasciato. Hab. in regione Palearctic. Male. Above blue, the base of the feathers being greyish-black; head crested, barred with bright blue; upper part of the back and scapulars green; rest of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts beautiful rich cobalt; wing-coverts green, the greater coverts inclining to blue, distinctly spotted at the tip of each feather with bright bars of cobalt; quills blackish, pale rufous at the base of the mner web, the outer web broadly washed with. ereenish blue; tail deep blue inclining to indigo above, black beneath; lores and ear-coverts light chesnut ; cheeks blue; throat, and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck white, slightly tinged with fulvous ; rest of the under surface of the body rich chesnut with a patch of blue feathers on the sides of the upper part of the breast; bill black; feet red. Total length 7°5 inches, of bill from front 1°7, from gape 2°0, wing 2°95, tail 1°5, tarsus 0°3, middle toe 0°55, hind toe 0°25. Female. Exactly similar to the male, but has the base of the lower mandible orange. Young. Similar to the adults, but has the bill shorter and more mixed with orange, and the feathers of the upper part of the breast edged with greyish and tinged with a slight dusky-blue lustre. [By the kind permission of my friend Mr. H. E. Dresser, who is my colleague in the forthcoming ‘‘ History of the Birds of Europe,” I have taken this account of the Kingfisher from the MSS. prepared for the last-named work. Nor shall we regret this circumstance, as although we have endeavoured to make the present account as complete as we can, it is quite possible to make it more perfect, and I, therefore, appeal to all my friends who have aided me in the present work to supplement as far as possible the details here given, so that when the species has to be treated of in the “ Birds of Europe” the account may be quite complete. R. B. S.] The Corvus agyptius of Hasselquist, from which Latham took the description of his ‘‘Egyptian Gracle,”’ on which again Gmelin founded his Gracula atthis, is very puzzling, for Hasselquist’s description suits that of Alcedo ispida very well; but he says that it lives in Egypt in trees (!), feeds on insects, and that he has found the remains of centipedes and scorpions in the stomach. In any case, it is impossible to say whether the bird mentioned by Hasselquist, if a Kingfisher at all, were A. zspida or A. bengalensis, and as the question of the determination is of little moment, we have expunged Gracula atthis from our list of synonyms. ' Mr. Gould has beautiful specimens of the Common Kingfisher from the Crimea, which appear to be identically the same as our British bird, and it is impossible to find a definite character on which to found specific distinction. Nevertheless, Professor Reichenbach has separated the bird from Eastern Europe as a distinct species. The worthy Professor has been singularly unfortunate in the species he has created among the “ Alcedinide,” and we fear that in the present instance he has not been more successful than usual. Nevertheless we state his case in his own words, leaving it to the judgment of Ornithologists to pronounce upon the specific validity of Alcedo pallasii :— ‘“ General colour as in A. dspida, but the throat sharply divided by a straight defined line from the reddish-brown breast. The young bird also differs from that of the former by the sharply defined white throat and greyish-brown under-surface. Besides the well characterized difference in the colour, particularly in the plumage of the young, there is a good difference in the short thick-set build of the foot and toes, as also of the toes and nails, the latter in particular being, though shorter, twice as high as in A. ispida, that of the latter being scarcely one millimétre, of the present species two millimétres. It is found on the large rivers of Asiatic Russia and on the Volga ; according to Eversman, it is rare on the latter river, occurring as far north as the Kama. It is more plentiful at Irtisch, notably more so on the rivers of the Altai and Jenessei, and in the whole of Western (but not Eastern) Siberia, than on the lakes. The three young birds which I have before me, of which I figure two, were shot in the end of July, 1849, on the Lake Noor Saisan in Sangarian Tartary. Old birds appear to pass from the East through Germany in the winter, and have been shot in Saxony, but I have never seen young birds of this species in Germany, and it, therefore, probably does not breed with us. If Alcedo advena of Brehm is this species I cannot say, as the difference in the skull, on which this learned author founds most of his species, cannot be observed, unless the bird is freshly received.” Now it is evident that Reichenbach inserted the localities for his species on the authorities of Pallas and Eversman; but, on the other hand, Dr. Von Schrenk, who has actually examined specimens from the Altai Mountains, refers them to Alcedo bengalensis, the small representative of Alcedo ispida. We fear that among the host of imaginary species already burdening the pages of Ornithology, the Alcedo pallasii of Professor Reichenbach must be added as another victim. Our Common Kingfisher is spread all over Europe, but does not extend its range far north. As astraggler it occurs in Scandinavia, but has not been known to breed in Sweden, though Kjerbélling states that it has been found nesting in Denmark. In these northern latitudes it has only been observed as an occasional visitant during the latter part of the summer and autumn, its farthest summer range to the north being probably the Baltic Provinces. In Great Britain it is generally distributed and is subject to a partial migration, a few remaining with us during the winter season. According to a note communicated to Mr. Gould's * Birds of Great Britain” by H. G. the Duke of Argyll, it visits Argyleshire only occasionally and at distant intervals, and never remains long ; indeed, in Scotland it is far scarcer than in England. As regards its distribution throughout the British Islands, Mr. A. G. More, in his admirable paper on the distribution of our native birds during the breeding season, says it is “thinly scattered throughout England and the south of Scotland. Breeds regularly in Ayr, occasionally in Lanark, regularly in nearly all the counties of sub province 28 (see his map, Ibis, 1865, p. 138), regularly in Stirling and Clackmannan, and perhaps every year in Perthshire, where it is very rare.”’ _. Mr. Thompson writes respecting its distribution in Ireland as follows (Nat. Hist. of Ireland, vol. I. p. 369):—“It is nowhere numerous; as many individuals, however, would seem to be distributed over districts favourable for their abode in Ireland as in any other country. There is decidedly a partial migration or movement of these birds. They came regularly every year about the same time in the month of August to ponds at our own residence in the country, contiguous to the mountains, and elevated 500 feet above the sea. They remained generally for about six weeks, and once only were seen in winter. Their first appearance in the year 1831 was on the 4th August; in 1833 on the 14th; in 1834 on the 14th; and in 1835 on the 17th of that month.” Our friend M. Jules Verreaux telis us that in France it is generally distributed and breeds everywhere, but is now becoming rare in some districts owing to the superstition of the peasants, who shoot and mummify the bird, believing that when hung up with extended wings the beak will always point to the quarter from which the wind blows. Bailly says that it is resident in Switzerland and Savoy, but that it is more numerous in the summer, a partial migration taking place in winter. Lord Lilford and Mr. Howard Saunders have both noticed the species in Spain, and Mr. A. C. Smith records it as ‘‘common in Portugal.” In Sardinia it is also common according to Count Salvadori, and in Tuscany is a resident as recorded by Savi. In the lately-published book on the “ Birds of Lombardy” by Signor E. Bettoni, a figure of the young bird is given and we are informed that it breeds in this country. Mr. C. A. Wright (Ibis, 1864, p. 73) says that in Malta the Common Kingfisher, which is called by the Maltese Ghasfur ta San Martin, is ‘‘an annual visitor; generally seen about the sea-shore in pairs. Arrives in August and September, and occasionally observed in the winter months. One was killed on the 14th March, 1862. Said to breed here sometimes.” : In Tangiers and Eastern Morocco, Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake (Ibis, 1867, p. 425) found the Kingfisher ‘“‘common and breeding.” Both Malherbe and Loche record it as common in Algeria, but do not state if it breeds, though no doubt it does so. To Egypt we believe it certainly extends, as Capt. Shelley obtained specimens which appear to us to belong to this species, but at the same time Alcedo bengalensis also occurs. Mr. E. ©. Taylor, an excellent Field Naturalist, writing on A. zspida, states (Ibis, 1859, p. 47) that he ‘‘saw this bird once only near Atfeh, a place where the Mahmoudeeh Canal joins the Nile;” and again (Ibis, 1867, p. 56) he writes: —“By no meansacommon bird. I saw it more frequently near Cairo than anywhere else.” Now we think it very probable that the last-named birds observed by Mr. Taylor were Alcedo bengalensis, for as observed in the account of this species (vide infra) Mr. J. Keast Lord obtained at Shoobra, near Cairo, a specimen of A. bengalensis with the longest bill we ever saw. Messrs. Eaton and Baird have lately brought the little Indian Kingfisher from Egypt, but our friend Captain Shelley, who specially devoted some time to the investigation of the subject, brought back several specimens, all of which, however, apparently belong to the Common Kingfisher. It will, therefore, be evident to Ornithologists that the reason of the occurrence of both species of Alcedo in. Egypt is veiled in much obscurity. For our part, we can only account for the fact of one Naturalist meeting with one species while another equally meets with the other, by the supposition that in Egypt the ranges of both species inosculate, and further, that their occurrence is uncertain, each bird being more common in that country one year than another. The Rev. Dr. Tristram gives (Ibis, 1866, p. 84) the following particulars respecting its distribution in Palestine :—‘‘Alcedo ispida is scattered everywhere throughout the country wherever there are streams, and also along the Mediterranean coasts; but it is nowhere very abundant, though evidently unaffected by climate, fishing indifferently in the little torrents of the Lebanon, among the ruined columns of Tyre, or in the seething swamps of the Jordan valley. All three species (A. spida, C. rudis, and H. smyrnensis) resort to the shores of the Dead Sea, attracted by the shoals of fishes which are brought down by the fresh water streams and soon stupified by the brine of the Lake. One morning on the western side, Mr. Shepherd shot all three species within a few minutes of each other; generally, however, we met with A. ispida in more secluded localities, and on the banks of smaller streams than the others, and even in ditches. In the Lebanon it is the only species.” In Corfu and Epirus, Lord Lilford (Ibis, 1860, p. 236) found it ‘very abundant and resident;” and in Turkey, Messrs. Elwes and Buckley (Ibis, 1870, p. 189) say that it is not uncommon in suitable localities. Captain Sperling likewise observes (Ibis, 1864, p. 282) that ‘it is common about the marshes and salt-water lagoons of Greece.” Mr. Robson has sent several specimens from Asia Minor and Turkey, in both of which countries it appears not uncommon. Rens Demidoff says (Voy Russ. Merid. 3, p. 207) that “the Kingfisher lives in pairs on the shady banks of all the rivers which empty themselves into the Black Sea; towards the middle of April it arrives on the marshes which are found in the neighbourhood of Odessa. It is pretty generally distributed throughout the province of Ghouriel.” De Filippi says that he saw it once at Nickbey in Persia, but it is probable that the bird here observed was A. bengalensis, and we suspect that the A. aspida of Hutton (J.A.S. B. xvi, pt. I, p. 777), from Kandahar, where it is ‘‘ found on the banks of rivers all the year through,” is referable to the same bird. ’ To the eastward the range of the Common Kinefisher is difficult to determine, for it has certainly been often confounded with A. bengalensis, but it probably does not extend far beyond the Ural, if indeed it crosses this barrier. ” Beautiful as many of our British Birds undoubtedly are, for brilliancy of plumage the Kingfisher stands unsurpassed ; and althoughit cannot boast an elegant form, it is, nevertheless, a general favourite on account of its beautiful appearance. Scarcely any of our rivers are without the attendant Kingfisher, and even dwellers in the neighbourhood of London may make its acquaintance, for the banks of the Thames are enlivened by its presence, while we have on one occasion seen it flying on the ornamental water in St. James’s Park. In the list of birds observed wild in the Zoological Gardens, published by Mr. Louis Fraser (P.Z.S., 1863, p. 159), the Kingfisher is not included, but we have seen one on a single occasion sitting over the water in one of the ponds, probably attracted by the notes of its companions in the Aviary in the Fish-house. When in a wild state, flying along the banks of a stream or sitting patiently at watch for its finny prey, the Kingfisher is a beautiful sight. Often has it been our good fortune to witness the bird at close quarters, but this is by no means easy to accomplish, owing to the extreme wariness of the bird from repeated persecution. The presence of the Kingfisher in one’s neighbourhood can be detected from some distance by the faint cry which falls upon the ear from afar. This note, which is a shrill but not unmusical scream, generally consists of two syllables, but is very difficult to render in language. Naumann gives it as ‘‘ #-7t,” which is by no means a bad representation of the ery, and these syllables are quickly repeated as the bird leaves its perch and skims over the stream. The flight is rapid and very direct, the bird speeding like a bullet a little height above the surface of the water. When suddenly disturbed it utters its ery shortly after leaving its perch, and then flies for some distance in silence, but when passing unmolested from one resting-place to another, its shrill note may be heard at frequent intervals. Just before perching the cry is uttered three or four times successively—t-ti-ti. When resting it sits uprightly with the glance directed downwards, motionlessly scanning the stream beneath, intent on the capture of any fish or water insect which may come within its reach, Its unerring dive seldom proves fruitless, and when secured, a few smart raps: on its perch, to which the bird always returns, deprives the victim of life, after which it is immediately swallowed, Except in the early morning it seldom chooses a very open position « for its resting-place, but in the autumn when the migration is in progress, at break of day it is not unusual to see two or even three birds in company on a rail or on the side of a punt ; in the day time, however, it loves solitude, and seldom more than one can be seen at once, and then it affects more shady and secluded haunts. In general it is a lonely bird, jealous of intrusion, especially from individuals of its own species. Each pair appear to choose and maintain a particular hunting ground, and should one Kingfisher enter upon the domain of another, it is speedily and effectually ousted by the rightful owner with cries of rage. So fierce is the animosity displayed by these birds, that when excited in combat they fly heedless of obstacles, and thus occasionally meet their death in their headlong career ; not long ago, indeed, an instance was recorded in the “ Field,” by Mr. E. Ward, of two Kingfishers which flew with such violence against a window, that both pursuer and pursued met their death on the spot. Mr. Alfred Denison possesses these identical specimens, which were stuffed to commemorate the occurrence. In the above details of the habits of our Kingfisher, the results of our observations differ considerably from those of Dr. Kiitter as hereinafter given, and we can only reconcile the discrepancy by supposing that the Kingfisher in Germany is a more pacific bird than its English congener. The late Mr. Briggs of Cookham, a most accurate observer of the habits of our British Birds, and one whose loss cannot sufficiently be deplored, has told us that he has often watched the Kingfisher dive several times from its post without apparently capturing any prey, and that its object in so doing he believed to be, by disturbing the water, to attract the small fish and insects. To this hypothesis we cannot adhere, and our opinion is that the bird merely plunges in order to wash itself, and Mr. Frederick Bond, the well-known Mentor of British Ornithologists, concurs in this opinion; we were also on one occasion witnesses to a freak on the part of a Kingfisher which was wildly dashing backwards and forwards in a small brook, apparently taking a bath and screaming vociferously all the while. The young, even when in the nest, are noisy, and their presence can be detected in the breeding-hole by the cries they emit. When able to fly they sit in secluded spots in the neighbourhood of the nest, and are very clamorous for food. The old birds evince great solicitude for their offspring, and when an intruder is seen in the neighbourhood of their young may be observed flying restlessly from point to point with the food in the bill intended for the little Kingfishers, who, unsuspecting danger, answer the anxious cry of the parent bird from the depths of the shady retreat where they are awaiting its return. It is to be recorded that when only just able to fly*the note of the young exactly resemble the disyllabic ery of the adult bird, but is of course not so powerful. The Kingfisher, though essentially frequenting water, by no means confines its choice of a breeding locality to the vicinity of that element, and the nest is not unfrequently found at some distance from the nearest stream. We know ourselves of an instance where a pair of birds selected a hole in a garden-bank in Dr. Goolden’s grounds at Maidenhead, at least a mile away from any water, at a very little height from the ground, and within easy reach of the passers by. In our opinion, the nature of the soil has more to do with the choice of the nesting-hole, its pliability for tunneling being the most essential requirement. We may add that the Kingfisher varies its food according to the localities it frequents, and although on the rivers its usual food consists of fish and water insects, on visiting the sea-shore it feeds on shrimps, &c., while our friend Mr. Gatcombe tells us that one was brought to him near Plymouth which had the stomach literally crammed with small crabs. The following very interesting account of the habits of the Kingfisher is from the pen of Dr. Kiitter (Journ. f. Orn. 1866, p. 38). He says :— “T have-often observed that this bird not only seizes insects when in want of its chief article of food or of the first food for its young, but also at other times, and I have proved this by examining the contents of the stomach out of the breeding season. It was, therefore, doubly interesting to me to see Heuglin’s notes in his work, in which he states that certain of the African Kinefishers live entirely on such food. Our Kingfisher is not an unsociable bird, and I have sometimes observed one of these small feathered fishermen pass by the haunt of another without the latter even moving a wing, and I could be sure that they were not a pair belonging to each other. The usual breeding-time I have found to be April, May and June. Generally they have but one brood in the year, but if anything happens to the first the female not rarely has another, and it is such a brood that one finds in July or Aueust. This I determined by marking the bills of three females with a file and afterwards catching them on the nest. The position of the nest-hole I have found in a straight bank, which is not necessarily washed by the water. I have as an exception found it in a bank about twenty paces from water, and divided from it by a well-frequented path. The circular hole, about two or three inches in diameter, in low banks is just under the edge, and in high banks about the middle or below that. It narrows slightly, and rises gradually . or runs quite horizontal, and is tunneled a foot anda half to as muchas three feet and a half into the bank. Ihave sometimes known them to turn off to one side, but in such cases have invariably found roots or stones to be the obstacle to its continuation in a direct line. The well-known grooved marks on each side of the base are more or less distinctly worked out in the neighbourhood of the outlet, or in much-used holes are quite effaced. The oven-like or lentile-shaped chamber at the end is evenly domed, generally six inches wide and four inches high, and the bird only begins to furnish it with discarded bones and scales of fish which it has eaten, after commencing to lay the eggs. Newly-finished chambers without eggs never have a trace of this peculiar nesting-material, which during the time of laying the eggs and sitting gradually increases in size and accumulates so that at. last it forms a foundation evenly arranged, several lines high. When incubation. has commenced one never finds an egg on the bare earth, and indeed the eggs require from their number and size as do also the naked young, in addition to the warmth of the mother, some protection from the bad conductor of warmth in the shape of the chilly earth; so that it is to me perfectly incomprehensible how people can speak of a chance collection of these remains in the nesting-chamber. Moreover, these remains have the same physical properties and serve exactly the same end as a foundation of dry grass, straw, &c., which birds habitually frequenting the water can the less easily make use of. I should add that the digging of the hole, which seems so great an undertaking for so small a bird, is completed in a comparatively short time, and I can show that the space of scarcely a week suffices in some instances. Inthe eager picking and digging, often in hard sand rubble, the beak is much used; and the bird appears from choice to work with the upper mandible only, for I have often found it shortened one or two lines, and in one instance one-third of the length was wanting, having, as it seems, been broken off. I never found them in colonies, and when several holes are close together only one is inhabited. The shortest distance between inhabited holes was about fifty paces. I have, without exception, found seven to constitute the full complement of eggs, even in a second brood. I have been unable to prove or disprove that 15-16 days, as stated, is the period of incubation.” Respecting the use of the upper mandible in digging, Dr. Kiitter adds the following footnote :— “This is easily to be understood on anatomical grounds, inasmuch as the upper mandible is fixed fast to the skull; whereas the weaker under mandible, being attached to the skull only by joints and sinews, can less easily withstand the hard work of digging. It is probable that on these grounds the Woodpeckers work, in excavating their holes, ’» the upper mandible and not with closed bill, but I cannot state this from my own observation.” ' The following letter on the “ Nesting of the Kingfisher,” from the pen of that well-known Naturalist Mr. George Dawson Rowley, appeared in the Field for 1866, addressed to the Editor, and is of sufficient interest to be transcribed verbatim :— “‘Smr,—Though the subject of the Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida) is somewhat stale, yet, in consequence of the remarks which I have just read in the October Quarterly on ‘Homes Without Hands,’ I send you the following notes, made this spring, in order to set at rest, if possible, a mistake regarding the breeding of this bird. Modern writers on the Kingfisher are hardly more free from error than even Ovid or Pliny, The bird is a true miner, and makes a nest of fish bones: but, as no rule is without an exception, where it cannot find a suitable bank to bore in, it has been known to nidificate in abnormal situations; and when abundance of proper fish are not to be caught, it is obliged to do without bones. ‘From many years’ constant watching, I can exactly tell the probable position of the hole, and the day it will be begun. Accordingly, on Thursday, March 29, I sent two witnesses to a particular spot on the river Ouse, 8. Neots, Huntingdonshire. They observed that there was on that day positively no hole of any kind, or vestige of a hole, in that bank. “On Easter Monday, April 2, I sent a keeper to the place. He reported the hole as begun. On the same day I went in a boat, and, putting a reed up, found it by actual measurement about fifteen inches deep, the moulds being quite fresh outside. Droppings of the bird (which was now seen constantly leaving the hole) were visible in two places. There was also a shallow hole a little to the left of the above-mentioned one. ‘This was a failure—either from caprice or some other cause, abandoned. We observe the same in Woodpeckers, which will sometimes bore in three or four places before they get one to their liking—a circumstance I parti- cularly remarked in a pair of the Greater Spotted Woodpeckers (P. major) last spring. Between March 29 and April 2, the Kingfisher had made two holes. I thought it best now to leave the place, only receiving from the keeper each morning a report, as he went by in his boat, that the bird was going on. ‘‘Saturday, April 7.—I made a memorandum: ‘I again observe fresh moulds, but not, as we consider, to-day’s, but yesterday’s; hence I suppose the hole to be nearly finished, if not quite.’ Here I should say, after taking these nests constantly for nearly thirty years, I find twenty-one days is the correct time from the commencement of the excavation to the end of laying seven eggs. I never had the luck to find eight; Mr. Gould, however, informs me he once did. ‘“‘Saturday, April 21.—Opened the hole, situated in the perpendicular bank, to keep off water-rats. Found, by measurement, the entrance was twelve inches from the surface of the ground, and about five feet from the water. The length of the ascending gallery was eight and a half inches, and the oval chamber six inches in diameter more. The top of the chamber was nine inches from the surface of the ground. It con- tained the usual nest of fish-bones, which was one and a half inches deep; and the same with the seven fresh eggs are now before me, with two other nests from the same locality. The bird flew off after the first dig, which I commonly make so as to cover up the hole again without disturbance if the full number of eggs has not been laid. “There was no excrement in the chamber, but much just outside in the gallery. The size of the chamber is-just sufficient for the owners to turn round pleasantly. When the young birds (which I have seen in every stage) have been some time in the nest, of course the hole gets very foul. ‘Here, then, is a case capable of being attested by two or three witnesses step by step, and concerning which there can be no doubt, where the Kingfisher is proved to have made its own hole. I have known it, when driven from one bank by floods, to revert to an old hole of its own making in a previous year; but never has there been an instance of its taking up with the abode of its most deadly enemy, the water-rat. It is hard to prove a negative, but it is certainly a most unlikely thing for a Kingfisher to enter a rat-hole. No one who has seen the eggs of this species in situ as often as I have, can deny that the fish-bones are placed with the design of making a nest. “Gro. Dawson Rowtey, 5, Peel Terrace, Brighton, Oct. 23.” In the Field newspaper for May 15th, 1869, the following interesting communication is made by some one writing under the soubriquet of ‘ Hants” :— “T fancy that the opportunity of seeing a Kingfisher on its nest is so rare an occurence that you may think it worth reporting. One has built, if I may use the term, near my house, under circumstances so favourable to observation, that the only drawback to the indulgence of curiosity is the fear of scaring the birds and the risk of attracting marauders; and I only regret that the fact was not discovered sufficiently early to arrange a closer watch on their proceedings. Last autumn I had occasion to require some hundreds of cubic yards of soil for a river embankment, and these were obtained close to the stream by an excavation leaving a perpendicular side some 12 feet high. About seven weeks ago I noticed two holes about half-way up this side, freshly made, and evidently scooped out by birds, the action’of the claws leaving a faint ridge on the floor of the burrow. Being occupied with other matters, it only struck me as very early for Sand-Martins, and I went my way. My schoolboys coming home, with keener interest in nests, saw, however, about a fortnight later, a Kingfisher fly out of the hollow, and applying to the principal burrow the test of the nose, indicated by McGillivray, found ‘confirmation strong’ in_ the ‘ancient and fish-like smell.’ The second burrow, a few feet distant, was evidently a beginning, frustrated by workmen, who have deterred the birds (whether the same pair or not is uncertain) from proceeding, by removing earth which carried away part of it after it had reached some two feet of depth. In order to ascertain whether the bird was sitting in the occupied burrow, I turned the sunlight into it with a small looking-glass, which showed the whole interior, and the bird at the end facing us, with its brilliant colours gleaming vividly, and its eyes like two beads of flame. Unwilling to disturb it, I never continued this more than for a second or two, and never succeeded in finding the bird absent on several subsequent occasions. Last week, however, I found that she had shifted her position, sitting sideways on the enlarged end of the hole, and with the heads of two or three young ones peeping out from under her wings. They appeared not much to like the investigation, and nestled back into the farthest corner. An opera glass brought the group almost under microscopic observation. The mouth of the hole is 25 inches wide, by 4 inches high, and the depth 2 feet 3 inches. A few small fish bones could be seen under the bird, but none in the passage. The circumstances already show that the birds have not appropriated the hole of a rat or any other creature, but have done all the work themselves. I subsequently found another nest in a bank overhanging the stream, and from this, which was a yard and a half deep, two eggs were taken witha small muslin net set on wire, some of the bone forming the nest being extracted with the eggs. The bird, which was driven off by the proceeding, did not, nevertheless, desert, and the same process of illumination showed her sitting on the remaining eggs. Ihave considerable doubt whether the hole is not always made by the bird itself, though, from the usual situation in the neighbourhood of rats holes, it is often — easily mistaken for one.” No account of the Kingfisher would be complete without Mr. Gould’s well-known anecdote, which is here subjoined :— “ On the 18th April, 1859, during one of my fishing excursions on the Thames, I saw a hole in a precipitous bank, which | felt assured was the nesting place of a Kingfisher; and on passing a spare top of my fly-rod to the extremity, a distance of nearly three feet, I brought out some freshly cast bones of a fish, convincing me that 1 was right in my surmise. The day following I again visited the spot with a spade, and after removing nearly two feet square of the turf, dug down to the nest without disturbing the passage which led to it. Here I found four eggs placed on the usual layer of fish bones. These I removed with care, and then replaced the earth, beating it down as hard as the bank itself, and restored the turfy sod. A fortnight after the bird was seen to leave the hole again, and ny suspicion was awakened that she had taken to her old breeding quarters a second time. I again visited the place on the twenty first day from the date of my former exploration, and upon passing the top of my fly rod up the hole, found not only that it was of the former length, but that the female was within. I then took a large mass of cotton wool from my collecting box, and stuffed it to the extremity in order to preserve the eges from damage during my again laying it open from above. On removing the sod and digging down as before I came to the cotton wool, and beneath it was formed nest of fish bones, the size of a small saucer, the walls of which were fully half an inch thick, together with eight beautiful translucent pale pinky-white egos, and the old female herself. This nest I removed with the greatest care; and it is now deposited in the proper resting place for so interesting an object, the British Museum. This mass of bones, then weighing 700 grains, had been cast up and deposited by the bird and its mate in the short space of twenty one days. Ornithologists are divided in opinion, as to whether the fish bones are to be considered in the light of a nest. Some are disposed to believe them to be the castings and feces of the young brood of the year, and that the same hole being frequented for a succession of years a great mass is at length formed; while others suppose that they are deposited by the parents as a platform for the eggs, constituting in facta nest: and I think, from what I have adduced, we may fairly conclude this is the case ; in fact, nothing could be better adapted to defend the eggs from the damp earth.” Dr. Jerdon mentions that the Alcedo bengalensis is subject to variety, and occasionally varieties of our Common Kingfisher are met with. Mr. F. Bond has a specimen beautifully varied with white, and M. Jules Verreaux informs us that he has lately seen two Kingfishers quite white with pink eyes, but on the breast was a faint tinge of rufous, and on the back a tinge of green. Mr. Borid likewise once shot a specimen which had the outer tail-feathers elongated in a curious manner. __ We cannot now in England plead the excuse of the superstition of the peasantry in using the dried bird as a weather-cock (which practice still prevails in France as recorded above by M. Jules Verreaux), as the cause of the wholesale destruction which threatens this lovely bird. This usage evidently existed in this country in Shakespeare’s time, and three istances are adduced by Mr. J. E. Harting in his interesting articles on the “ Birds of Shakespeare” (Zool. 1867, p. 533):—‘ It was also supposed that the dead bird, carefully balanced and suspended by a single thread, would always turn its back towards that point of the compass from which the wind blew. Kent, in ‘King Lear,’ speaks of rogues who ‘turn their halcyon beaks with every gale and vary of their masters ;’ and after Shakespeare, Marlowe, in his ‘Jew of Malta,’ says: ‘But how now stands the wind? Into what corner peers my halcyon’s bill ?’”’ The greatest enemy of the Kingfisher in England now appears to be the preserver of salmon-fry, and to the youthful fish the sharp-eyed Kingfisher proves a destructive foe, and the fishermen by putting snares across the hole catch the female birds in great numbers. Another way of catching Kingfishers is by placing thin meshed-nets across narrow brooks; this plan is extensively practised, Mr. J. H. Gurney informs me, near Darlington, and we also often get them thus caught on the brooks near Hendon, in the immediate neighbourhood of London. In confinement the Kingfisher is not an easy bird to keep, but in the Fish-house at the Zoological Gardens one or two may usually be seen, and their dexterity in capturing fish may often be noticed. Mr. A. D. Bartlett, the well-known Superintendent of the Zoological Gardens, tells us a curious story of a nest of young Kingfishers which were placed in the Aviary in the Fish-house in the above-named Gardens, and were duly nurtured and reared by another old bird, already domiciled there. The young ones were allowed to progress till they reached a decent size, when they were every one killed for some unaccountable reason by the old foster-parent, who speared them through with his bill. As regards the occurrence of the Kingfisher in Ireland, Mr. Harry Blake-Knox, one of the best Field Naturalists we have in Great Britain, has written to us as follows :~ ‘t Were I to write a history of this species I could only repeat the remarks of other Naturalists, and with regard to its migration in the County Dublin.I can say but little but that it is not a common bird with us except in autumn. [ have no doubt it would be a permanent resident in the county and generally throughout Ireland if unmolested, because it breeds in suitable localities and tarries with us frequently through the winter. It looks especially beautiful when seen in the latter season of the year, flying across the frozen rivers or crossing the snow. During the autumn there is a great influx of Kingfishers into this and the neighbouring counties, and it is solely at this season one meets with them upon the coast, and then only where it is rocky and consequently full of pools, in which rock fish and crustaceans (particularly prawns) are left by the receding tide, and these afford a plentiful supply of food for the Kingfishers. I am confident these birds, so found, are on their way south, but that they linger for months in such haunts I am positive, from the fact of always meeting a pair or more in the same locality. I have seen them on our islands, miles out to sea, where they have taken up a temporary abode, and I have elsewhere mentioned how strangely out of place they seem in such localities, and how they roost on the gunwales of boats in little companies, sitting side by side like Love-birds. They utter a shrill grating whistle more frequently over the salt water than over the fresh. The returning spring migration like that of the Skua is not performed along the east coast of Ireland, and perhaps like the Skua takes place on the western, but of this I have no proof. Our descriptions and plate are from specimens shot in Berkshire by the late Mr. W. Briggs of Cookham. ALCEDO BENGALENSIS. ALCEDO BENGALENSIS. (LITTLE INDIAN KINGFISHER.) Alcedo bengalensis : : ‘ : , : Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 450 (1788). Alcedo minor A : : ‘ ; : é Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 7 (1863). Alcedo ispida minor . , ; : : : Heugl. Orn. Nordost. Afr. p. 178 (1869). Alcedo bengalensis var. sondaica . ; ; : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 3 (1851). Alcedo sondaica 5 ; : F ; ‘ Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 3 (1851), Alcedo japonica . : : : : ; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854), Alcedo moluccensis 5 j ; , : Wall. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 484 (nec Blyth). A. torque pectorali nulla: abdomine leté castaneo: tectricibus alarum conspicué cyaneo terminatis: regione parotica rufa: minor: rostro longo: supri leté cyanea: capite cyaneo profusé fasciato, Hab. in parte orientali Africa septentrionalis, in Asid centrali et orientali, in tota regione Indica et aliquando in sub-regione Austro- Malayana. Male. Head crested, profusely banded with broad bars of very brilliant cobalt; scapularies and wing coverts greenish-blue, washed along the edge with intense cobalt; entire back very rich cobalt; quills brownish-black, the inner web very pale rufous at the base, the outer web, especially of the secondaries, edged with greenish-blue; tail indigo above, black beneath; a spot at the base of the bill, a longitudinal stripe from below the eye extending backwards over the ear, and the under surface of the body rich orange- rufous; throat and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck white tinged with rufous; cheeks and a patch of feathers on the sides of the breast rich cobalt; bill black; feet orange. Female. Similar to the male, but has the colours less vivid, and the base of the lower mandible orange. Additional references.—Alcedo bengalensis, Bon et Vieill. Encl. Meth. I, p. 291 (1823); Kittl. Kupf. Vog. pl. 29 (1832); Sykes, P.Z.S. 1832, p. 84; Maclell. P.Z.S. 1839, p. 156; Jerd. Madr. Journ. 1840, p. 231 ; Vigne, P.Z.S. 1841, p. 6; Ewer, P.Z.S. 1842, p. 92; Gray, Cat. Mamm. and B. of Nep. p. 57 (1846); id. Gen. of B. I, p. 81 (1847); id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 68 (1848); Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 49 (7849) 5 Temm. and Schl, Faun. Jap. Av. pl. 88 (1850); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 158 (1850); Cass. Cat. c. Phil. Mus. p. 1 (1852); Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 155: Moore, P.Z.S. 1854, p. 269; Horsf. and Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E.I. Co. I, p. 129 (1854); Adams, P.Z.S. 1858, p. 474; Gould, P,.Z.S, 1859, pp. 150, 151; Adams, P.Z.S. 1859, p. 169; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 144 (1860); Mason, Burm, p. 674 ag ; Schrenk, Amurl. p. 265 (1860) ; Swinh. Ibis, 1860, p. 49 et 1861, pp. 31, 328; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 228; erd. B, of Ind. I. p. 231 (1862); Blakist. Ibis, 1862, p. 825; Swinh. Zool. 1863, p. 8747 et P.Z.S. 1863, pp. 269, 333, et Ibis, 1863, p. 260; Wall. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 484; Day, Land of Perm. p. 460 (1863); Schomb. Ibis, 1864, p. 247; Martens, Journ. f. Orn. 1866, p. 18; Pelz. Voy. Nov. Vig. p. 50 (1865); Beav. P.Z.S. 1865, p. 692 et Ibis, 1865, p- 409; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 348; Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 196; Swinh. Ibis, 1867, p. 408; Tytler, Ibis, 1868, p. 196 ; Beav. Ibis, 1869, p. 409. Alcedo minor, Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind, Alced. pp. 4, 43, pl. 1 (1864). Alcedo ispida, var bengalensis, Radde, Reise Ost. Lib. II, p, 143 (1863). Young. Similar to the adults, but the bill short, and the breast feathers distinctly edged with greenish blue, very conspicuous in some lights. Hab. Cairo (Lord), Scanderoon ((S. Stafford Allen, spec. in mus. R.B.S.), Suez (Heuglin), Nubia (mus. Lugd.), Sinatic Peninsula, Wady Fieran and Wady Gharandel (Lord), Caucasus, Persia, Altai Mountains (Schrenk), Central Asia (mus. R.B.S.), India generally and Ceylon (Jerdon), Burmah (Blyth), Penang (Cantor), Malacca (Wallace), Java (mus. Lugd.), Flores (Wallace), Timor (mus. Lugd.), Labuan (Motley), Philippine Islands (Cuming), Gilolo (Wallace), Siam (Schomburgk), China generally (Swimhoe), Formosa (Swinhoe), Hainan (Swinhoe), Japan (Temminck and Schlegel), Eastern Siberia (Radde), Amoor Land (Schrenk). However nearly allied the Little Indian Kingfisher may be to our Common Kingfisher of Europe, there can be no doubt that it is specifically distinct, and is easily distinguishable by its smaller size, longer bill, and the more intense blue colouring of the adult birds. In habits also it seems to differ slightly from Alceda ispida, for, whereas this last-named bird is as partial to stagnant ponds and brooks as to running streams, its Indian congener appears to prefer the latter and is seldom found in the vicinity of stagnant water. The most painstaking researches into the history of the present species that I have been able to find are those published by Dr. L. von Schrenk in his celebrated.work on the Zoology of Amoor Land, but he has unfortunately wasted his energy in endeavouring to prove the inutility of separating A. bengalensis from A. zspida, all the while admitting the distinctions of general size and length of bill, which are sufficient to separate it as a species. We may, however, be doing an injustice to Dr. von Schrenk, if we do not give the substance of his argument in his own words. We therefore transcribe from his work the following remarks which bear upon the point in question :— ‘* There is no doubt that the form of Alcedo ispida, which since Gmelin’s time has by many authors been considered to be a distinct species under the name of Alcedo bengalensis, to which also the Japanese form belongs, is*only a variety of A. aspida. Our Amoor specimens of Kingfishers, which exactly agree with the Japanese form, and which we have compared with specimens of A. ispida from the Altai, Caucasus, Persia and Western Europe, comfirm us in this opinion. * * * Even those Ornithologists who separate A. bengalensis from A. ispida, agree that in colour and marking there is no difference between them. * * * Our Amoor specimens agree so closely in intensity and distri- bution of colour with specimens from Western Europe, Caucasus, and Persia, that we can observe not even a climatic difference. The old males from the Amoor are distinguished by an equally intense blue and green on the upper parts, and not less intense rust-red on the under parts than in birds from the above-mentioned localities. Compared with both an adult specimen from the Altai Mountains seems however much paler, particularly as regards the rust-red of the under parts. In the young birds of the Amoor, as in the European species, the blue-green of the upper parts is less handsome and the rust-red on the breast dashed with a greenish-grey tinge. A similar specimen we have in our museum from Japan, received from Temminck, and it agrees with the young specimen from the Amoor. In the freshly-killed young from the Amoor the beak is blackish with a whitish tip, iris brown, feet yellowish-brown. There is, however, a difference in the size of our bird. Much as all observers testify to its similarity of colours and markings to A. ispida, they equally agree as to its smaller size and proportionately longer bill. It is indeed only in this respect that it differs, and it is on these characters alone that A. bengalensis is founded.” Dr. von Schrenk then gives a table of measurements to shew the gradual variation of a series of specimens of A. bengalensis towards A. ispda, aud even by this table it is evident that the bill of the latter species, when fully adult, does not equal in length that of the young A. bengalensis, and he contends that all the arguments brought forward serve to prove that A. bengalensis is only a small variety of A. ispida. He then proceeds: — “ Kittlitz states particularly that A. bengalensis, as observed by him at Luzon, agreed precisely in habits with A. ispida. Nor could we observe any difference in those we observed in Amoor Land, either in note, flight, or choice of abode from A. ispida. * * * Having identified A. ispida with A. bengalensis, and having found the latter on the Amoor, we largely increase its geographical range. Instead of the former boundary to the east we can follow it down to the eastern end of the old World, and southwards through India and China to the Philippine and the Japanese Islands, northwards through Siberia and the Amoor to the Sea of Ochotsk. In Siberia it was observed by Gmelin and Messerschmidt only on the Torn, by Pallas on the Jenessei, but not further east. As we saw many on the Upper and Lower Amoor, it is probable that it extends from Jenessei to the Trans- Baikal region. ‘** In the Amoor Country the extended willow thickets bordering the stream along its various branches, and on the islands, offer the best localities for breeding and procuring food. As in these wilds the noise of the oars does not directly frighten it away, it is often easily surprised by the boat. Particularly in the wet rainy summer of 1856, when the river Amoor was very high, and when great numbers of the willows hung over the water or had their roots submerged, I observed the Kingfisher plentifully from June to September, from the village of Yrri, on the lower Amoor, to Albasin on the upper part of the stream. * * * In fact, we observed it all over the Amoor to its mouth.” Herr Radde supplies some additional notes, as follows :— ‘* Herr L. von Schrenk has already treated very fully of the Siberian bird, and shewn its identity with the Bengalese variety of A. ispida. It only remains for me, therefore, to say something of my own specimens. I must state that in the Trans-Baikal region, as also on Lake Baikal, the Kingfisher is not rare, and thus confirms von Shrenk’s supposition that it would be found to inhabit the country between Jenessei and Amoor Land. I observed it pretty often on the Central Onon, particularly at the fork of the river where the stream flows slowly. Here it was living at the end of September, notwithstanding that during the night ice was formed an inch thick on the water. A female was also killed on the 17th of May, 1858, on the Bureja Mountains.” I give Dr. von Schrenk every credit for the pains he has taken, but I venture to suggest that the specimens measured by him from Persia, &c., were indeed A. bengalensis and not true A. ispida. It is true I have never seen specimens from the evact localities, but I have seen a Central Asiatic specimen from the vicinity of Bokhara, and it was undoubtedly true A. bengalensis. It seems probable that the only specimen of true A. zsprda examined by the worthy doctor was the German specimen of which he adduces the detailed measure- ments, and which at once give him the characters of a larger size but smaller beak. I must further remind Dr. von Schrenk that Kingfishers, especially those of the genus A/cedo, are a considerable time in gaining their adult size and plumage, and that it is therefore, hardly fair to compare young birds of one species with old birds of another in the same tabular diagram. Professor Reichenbach has separated Alcedo bengalensis into two races, which he calls respectively A. indica, from the continent of India and the Tenasserim provinces, and A. sondaica, from Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Malacca, and Ceylon. These races are supposed to present differences in size, but scarcely any evidence to this effect is brought forward. | may state that in preparing the present article I have carefully examined more than one hun- dred specimens of the present species, with the following result. Taking the Indian bird as the normal form, I do not find any positive distinction between it and the Chinese or Japa- nese bird (A. japonica, Bp.), although the latter does appear to be somewhat more green in tint than those from the continent of Asia. I have, however, not examined a sufliciently large series to be quite sure on this point, while Dr. von Schrenk plainly states that there is no difference. I cannot, moreover, find that the bird from the Indo-Malayan sub-region is really distinct in any way from the Indian species, specimens from Timor and Flores excepted (vide infrd). Ceylonese specimens, however, certainly do vary in being smaller and in having the blue of the upper surface more vivid. Lord Walden has very kindly lent me several specimens for examination, and in noting this variation Professor Reichenbach was no doubt right, but I cannot allow that it is a case for specific distinction, as a single Ceylonese specimen placed in the midst of a series from Bengal would not be detected; it is only on comparing a series of one bird with a series of the other that a variation can be perceived. The single specimen in my collection from Central Asia differs from the Indian in being of a more vivid greenish blue and much paler red underneath. This difference is also noted by von Schrenk in a specimen from the Altai and is a curious fact as I cannot detect any real difference in the more western specimens from the usual Indian form. Therecan, I think, be little doubt that the bird from Flores and Timor constitutes another local variety, as was noticed long ago by Temminck and Schlegel (Fauna. Jap. Aves. p. 77). The plumage is altogether much richer and the blues of the upper surface more intense. Mr.Wallace brought home several specimens from the former locality and has identi- fied them with A. moluccensis (P.Z.S. 1863, p. 484). The latter, however, is a distinct species, having the ear-coverts blue. There is also a slight difference worth noting in the specimens of Alcedo bengalensis from Formosa as compared with those from the mainland of China, consisting in the greater development of the blue patches of feathers on either side of the breast. In addition also to their larger size, they appear to be brighter in tint and more inclining to berylline-green. The large series brought home by Mr. Swinhoe during his second visit to Formosa exhibits this character in all the fully adult examples, and he has very kindly given me some notes on the specimens in his collection which will be given below. I now append a table of measurements taken from adult specimens from various localities. In juxta-position are placed a few Alcedo ispida to show that the character of the larger size and proportionably shorter bill are constant characters in the latter species :— No. Sex. Name. Locality. Authority. Long tot. Rosir. Al 1 a A. ispida. England. mus. R. B. S. 7-2 17 3-0 ye es : : s 7-2 1-7 2-95 3 au _ es ¥ ihe 1-6 2°95 4 3 5 oA 6-9 1-6 2°95 5 3 ” ” ” 75 gy. 30 6 P ” ” ” 7:2 eg 3°0 twinge . ” + 6-8 1-6 3-0 8 Y ” ” »” 7.3 1:6 3:0 9 ao 2 a ef 75 1°65 3-0 10 Sled Greece. H. B. Tristram. 7-0 15 31 11 ES = Jericho, ~ 67 15 2:95 12 Ee A. bengalensis. Central Asia. mus. R, B.S, 65 1-7 29 13 3 % Cairo. J. K. Lord. 66 2-0 2:8 14 oy » Ceylon, mus. Walden. 6:3 1°65 2-6 15 sa) na » » ow 6-4 1-75 27 16 | ” ” ” ” 6-4 1-65 2:8 17 ” Bengal. mus. R. B. S. 6-2 1°65 2°8 18 . India. P 6-1 1°65 2°8 19 ) 4 “ 6-1 1:75 2-7 20 diva 9 Java. mus. R. Swinhoe. 6-0 1-65 2°85 21 i. Malacca. Wallace. 5:8 1:65 2:8 22 | “| Japan. Whitely. 6-4 1-65 2-8 23 7 Labuan. Dillwyn. 6°4 1:65 2:7 24 / a Gilolo. Wallace. 65 1:65 28 25 ” Hainan. Swinhoe. 26 pS Amoy. x 6-2 1-65 2-8 y + Formosa. ae 6-1 1-65 2°85 : ae) ” ” » 6-2 1-65 2-8. 29 ” Phillipines. Cuming, 6-0 16 29 Dr. Jerdon, in the “Birds of India,” says :— “This Indian Kingfisher, so nearly allied to the common European one, is spread throughout the whole of India, Ceylon, the Indo-Chinese region, Malayana, and even China. It is quite a diminutive of the European bird, and frequents rivers, brooks, tanks, irrigated paddy-fields, and ditches by the road-side, perching on a tree or post, a stone, or a telegraph wire. It dives obliquely on its prey, which consists of small fish, tadpoles, and aquatic insects. It breeds in deep holes in banks of rivers; Buchanan Hamilton states also in mud-walls, and that it lays six or seven pinkish-white round eggs. Layard remarks that many are taken in Ceylon, by a net placed under water, for sale in China. I have seen specimens in which there was a good deal of white on the head, back of neck, and back.” I am indebted to many kind friends for original notes on this bird in India, and amongst them Mr. G. F. L. Marshall has favoured me with the following:— “T have obtained Alcedo bengalensis in the Umballah district, the Ganges Dooab, Dehra Doon, and the valley of the Jumna in the Himalayas; it is pretty common in all these localities, but is confined to running water. I have never seen it near any still water-tanks or jheels, nor perched in trees. It frequents the river-beds of the Doon and sub-Himalayan valleys; as far as the boulder formation extends, and the water is clear and rapid, it may be seen perching on the stones or projecting rocks, and watching intently for its prey in the eddies and shallows; lower down, where the slope of the country diminishes, and the stony bed gives place to soft mud and drifting sand, and the clear blue rapids to broad expanses of dark-coloured water heavily charged with silt, and wandering sluggishly between interminably-shifting sand-banks, the little Kingfisher, unable to obtain an adequate supply of food, betakes itself to the large canals which traverse the district—here the falls of masonry, by creating barriers, form points of concentration for the fish, which _ may be seen in shoals of all sizes, vainly endeavouring to force their way to the foot of the / weir. Thus they fall an easy prey to the watchful little bird, which takes up its position on the projecting masonry pier. A pair of these birds live in this manner at each of the falls, and I had ample opportunity of observing them. They are very fearless and tame, and while engaged in fishing will permit themselves to be approached within eight or ten feet, and I have sat for some minutes within that distance of one without attracting any more attention than an occasional rapid glance of the eye in my direction. They never hover, but dart from their perch, returning immediately. ‘The natives call it the “ Garar,” from some fancied resemblance to Vishnu’s fabulous serpent-eating bird, mentioned in the “ Prem Sagur;” but I fancy that a closer study of their own mythology would induce them to alter the name: it is worth remarking that they never confound this species with Haleyon smyrnensis, the other common blue Kingfisher of those parts, which they call the “‘Gtinpiik,” for they are essentially unobseryant of nature and have but one name for Yungipicus hardwickii, Brachypternus aurantius, and Upupa epops.” ‘My brother, Captain C. Marshall, has also obtained this bird from Cashmere, and the rivers below Murree in the Piinjab.” My friend, the late Captain R. C. Beavan, gave me the following note :— “This species, which is the representative of the common English Kingfisher in India, is abundant about the neighbourhood of Calcutta, at Barrackpore—where the rice swamps afford plenty of small fish, shrimps, etc., for its food It is much rarer about the Maunbhoom district, and decidedly rare at Umballah, where I only procured one specimen, in November, 1866.” “Tn solitary places,” writes Sir Emerson Tennent, in his well-known work on Ceylon, “where no sound breaks the silence except the gurgle of the river as it sweeps round the rocks, the lonely Kingfisher sits upon an overhanging branch, his turquoise plumage hardly less intense in its lustre than the deep blue of the sky above him, and so intent is his watch upon the passing fish that intrusion fails to scare him from his post—the emblem of vigilance and patience.” Dr. Leith Adams relates that he found the present species “inhabiting India and the lower Himalayan ranges. Very plentiful on the streams and lakes of Cashmere, and adding much to the beauty of the far-famed Shalimar gardens and the delightful scenes in that romantic land.” The same author also subsequently observes that it is a ‘‘common tenant on all the streams and lakes in the Valley of Cashmere.” Captain Irby, in his paper on the ‘‘ Birds of Oudh and Kumaon,” says that Alcedo bengalensis was not seen nearly so often as Ceryle rudis or Halcyon smyrnensis, and, unlike the latter, preferred running streams. For the following observations I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Swinhoe:— ‘‘In answer to your inquiries respecting the distribution of our ‘King of the Shrimps’ (Alcedo bengalensis), I can only give you a few notes. It is acommon bird in the cultivated parts of the country from Canton to Shanghai, living in the neighbourhood of rice-fields. I have met with it in every part of China, from Hainan to Peking, and westwards as far as Changking in Szechuen, and I have a large series of specimens from Amoy and a few from Canton, Hongkong, and Tingchow, one from Foochow and one from Hankow. They vary a little in size, length of wing and beak; and as a rule their coloration is uniform, and very similar to that of skins in my collection from India. Formosan specimens, however, I notice after a close examination of a large series, have peculiarities of their own. They are somewhat larger and longer-winged than the continental examples, and have the azure latero-pectoral patch larger and extending downwards a short way along and under the edge of the wings. Males and females both have it, but it is duskier in the latter. None of my continental series quite equals the finest Formosans im length of wing, though one skin from Amoy, two from Canton, and one from Tingchow, have the fully-extended blue side-patch, and there are several that have it more or less developed. ‘Only one Formosan bird, and that a male from Tamsuy, has the patch small, but in dimensions it agrees with the largest of the other islanders. The following measurements of the wing of a few specimens show the comparative length in birds from different localities: — 6, Formosa, wing 2°85 inches; £, 3°0 — g, Canton, 2°75; p, 2°80 — p, Hongkong, 2:75 — 6g, Amoy, 2°75— g, Tingchow, 2°88; £, 2°85. Females are duller coloured, and have the lower mandible red for half of its length and more; this character being apparent in the nestling. ‘The fledgling has the breast washed with greyish black; auxiliaries and under parts pale rust colour, deeper on flanks, tibiae: and vent. Upper parts dull blackish erey, tinged with green; head and back of the neck spotted with dull greenish blue, the wing-coverts faintly so; the blue of the lower back and rump also tinged with green, brightening on the upper tail-coverts; tail as in the adult; throat and under size of the neck bufty white; legs deep purplish brown, reddish on the soles and under surface. The young female is not so bright as the young male, especially about the rump and upper tail- coverts: The Formosan variety shows no special difference in the young stage.” ‘‘From the ‘‘Hainan Gazateer” (Kiuny-shan-Heen che) :— ‘ Fri-tsuy (Avngjisher).—There are several large and small kinds. The skins of the Jarge kinds (Halcyon smyrnensis and H. pileatus) are paid as tribute to the Emperor. The small kind is called the water ‘Tsuy.’ There are also the hill ‘Tsuy’ (Pelagopsis sp.) and the red ‘Tsuy’ (H. coromandeliana).” Captain Blakiston procured specimens in Northern Japan, and remarks:— . ‘‘No distinction can be made out between this specimen and others collected in China; but there seems considerable variation in the colour of the bill of this species. It is the only Kingfisher I observed in Jesso, and appears quite to represent that of England in Northern Japan.” Near Hakodadi, however, it is not so common, according to Mr. Whitely, who writes:— ‘One specimen (a female) only, obtained at Hakodadi, Sept. 24, 1865, from a native bird-fancier, from whom I learned that it had been caught up a creek near the village of Kamida, a few miles from the town. It is most probably a scarce bird, as this is the only =——- Ts. ee Cpa iare Ses instance in which I know of its capture. Length, 6°12in.; wing, 2°87in. Bill, black; eye, black; legs and feet, indian red.” Sir Robert Schomburgk found the present species in Siam, and has published the accompanying note :— “This is a very pretty species of its kind; it is small—no more than 6 inches in length. When on the wing, the brilliancy of its plumage is easily discerned; less so when sitting. It selects generally the dry branch of a tree close to the river’s edge, and there it watches its opportunity to dart into the water after the finny tribe, which, from its watch-tower, it has observed near the surface of the river.” Lastly, Mr. John Keast Lord, to whom belongs the honour of first introducing Alcedo bengalensis as an Egyptian bird to the ornithological world, has very kindly given me the following extracts from his note-book on the species, as observed by him in Egypt and on the Sinaitic peninsula :— “T first noticed this handsome little Kingfisher quite close to Cairo in February, 1868. I shot a male specimen at Shoobra, which is at this time in my possession. The habit of A. bengalensis, so far as I have been able to observe it, is to frequent running streams in preference to still water. I have frequently seen the Kingfisher, whilst flying or steadily hevering close to the surface of the stream, make a sudden plunge after a fish, and on coming up with the prize perch upon any available branch, stone, or log, to swallow it; and although it oftentimes sits in the same manner as A. ispida, upon a branch overhanging the stream, waiting patiently for an opportunity to plunge after food, my own impression is that A. bengalensis more often makes the dash into the water whilst on the wing than from a branch or other fishing station. The only place I observed it fishing in what may be called still water was in the canal close to the Cairo railway terminus, and I may truth- fully say I have watched this Kingfisher actually fishing in the very midst of the busy traffic of Cairo, and within a gunshot of the station from which all the trains running between Cairo and Alexandria start or arrive as the case may be. Nevertheless, its favourite locality is the swiftly-flowing stream near Shoobra.” “In June, 1869, I for the second time noticed this Kingfisher at Shoobra, and hence I think it may be fairly inferred that it breeds in Egypt. ‘Twice I saw A. bengalensis on the peninsula of Sinai and in Wady Hebra in June, and again at Tor in the same month; from the latter place I have a specimen. At both these places, | may remark, there are running streams and small fish in them.” “« 4. ispida also occurs on the peninsula of Sinai as well as in Egypt. I have no posi- tive proof to offer, nevertheless I am pretty confident that A. bengalensis, and probably A. ispida, both breed at Tor and in Wady Hebra.” In the Leiden Museum there is a specimen from Nubia, collected by Ruppell, with a very long beak, equalling in this respect Mr. Lord’s Cairo specimen. The figures and descriptions are from Bengal specimens in my collection. ALCEDO GRANDIS. Peon DO GRANDIS. (GREAT INDIAN KINGFISHER). Alcedo yrandis : : eae . Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. XIV, p. 190 (1845); id. Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 49 (1849) ; id. Ibis, 1865, pp. 30, 31, et 1866, pp. 348, 363; Gray, Hand- list of B. p. 196 (1869). Aleedoeuryzona ., ; y : e Jerdon, Birds of India, I, p. 231 (1862, nee Temm.). A. torque pectorali nulla: abdomine castaneo: tectricibus alarum conspicué cyaneo apicatis: regione parotica _ nigré cyaneo notaté: major: viridis: capite sparsim fasciis viridi-cyaneis transfasciato: scapularibus viridibus, 7 Hab. in plagd Himalayané orientali. Head crested, black, with transverse bars of pale greenish cobalt, each bar having a little _ streak of silvery white down the centre; scapularies blackish washed with deep green ; . of the back rich silvery cobalt, deepest on the rump and upper tail-coverts; wing- ts blackish washed with dark green, each feather having a small spot of silvery blue ; blackish, the inner web pale rufous at the base, the outer web of the secondaries edged dark greenish-blue ; tail dark indigo above, black beneath; cheeks and ear-coverts black - longitudinally streaked with silvery-cobalt; a very small loral spot, a longitudinal stripe ¢ the sides of the neck, and the throat, white tinged with yellow; rest of the under- ce of the body dark rufous; bill black; feet orange. Total length 8 inches, of bill front 1.7, from gape 2.2, wing 3.85, tail 1.65, tarsus 0.35, middle toe 0.65, hind _ Hab. Terai Darjeeling (Anderson). a8 _ This truly magnificent species has as yet only been met with ir the neighbourhood of Jarjeeling. It was first described by Mr. Blyth in 1845, and the type specimen is still in Calcutta Museum. Mr. Jerdon has certainly made a mistake in considering it to be the g of A. euryzona, which was, moreover, described as a distinct species by Mr. Blyth the name of A. nigricans. It was hardly possible, therefore, that so acute an ver would have separated A. grandis and not have united it to A. nigricans, if they had h been the young of A. ewryzona. Mr. Blyth has, however, himself written (/.c.) in ce of the species, and I can only state my full concurrence in his views. The type specimen came from Darjeeling, and the specimen from which the figure and description are now taken was also shot in the Darjeeling Terai by a shikaree in the employ of Dr. John Anderson, the well-known Curator of the Culcutta Museum. I beg to tender this gentleman my most hearty thanks for his great kindness in allowing this extremely valuable specimen (the only perfect one known, as the type is in bad condition) to be sent to England for the enhancement of my work. ee oe 0 ati Pr. - Te % ns a ME Re, ee a US a oe a ew ee eee ee » ee ee ALCEDO MOLUCCENSIS. ALCEDO MOLUCCENSIS. (MOLUCCA KINGFISHER.) Alcedo moluccensis : : ; : , . Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. XV., p. 11 (1846). Alcedo minor moluccensis ‘ 3 ; : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 8 (1863); et Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 5, 44, pl. 1 (1864). Alcedo ispida, var é ; ; ; i : Lesson, Voy. Coq. I, p. 695 (1826). A. torque pectorali nulli: abdomine rufo: tectricibus alarum conspicue cyaneo apicatis: regione paroticd nigra cyaneo notaté: minor: letissimé cyaneo: scapularibus cyaneis. Hab. in subregione Austro-Malayana. Male. Head crested, black, profusely barred with rich cobalt; cheeks and ear-coverts black longitudinally streaked with rich cobalt; back very deep cobalt; scapularies and wing-coverts dark greenish cobalt; the latter having a spot of brighter cobalt on the apex _ of each feather; primary coverts blackish washed externally with greenish blue; quills __ brownish black, the inner web very pale rufous at the base, the external web, especially of __ the secondaries broadly washed with deep blue; a spot in front of the eye pale reddish; _ throat and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck, white fringed with pale rufous; rest of the under-surface of the body ochreous-chesnut, the upper part of the sides of the breast having a conspicuous bright blue patch of feathers; bill black; feet vermilion. Female. Precisely similar to the male, but perhaps of not quite such an intense blue, __ and always to be distinguished by the orange mark at the base of the under mandible. = Hab. Flores (Wallace), Celebes (Wallace, Fraser), Bouru ( Wallace), Gilolo (Wallace), Batchian (Rosenberg), Mysol (Rosenberg), Salawati (Rosenberg), Ceram (Rosenberg), Amboina (Rosenberg), New Ireland (G. R. Gray). The present species belongs to the same section of the genus Alcedo as A. grancis, _ having like this bird the ear-coverts blue. This peculiarity at once distinguishes it from _ Alcedo bengalensis which is its nearest ally, and of which it seems to be the representative ‘species in the Moluccas, Mastin references.—Alcedo moluccensis, Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 49 (1849); Reich, Handb. Alced. I, p. 5 (1851); Rosenb. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 118; Gray, Hand-list of B. I. p. 95 (1869). No. | Sex. Locality. Authority. Long tot. Rostr. Al. | | ff fey 1 2 Bouru Wallace 6°3 15 2°85 2 P Celebes. Fraser. 6°5 1°5 2°85 3 £ 9 oe) 6°5 15 2°9 4 3 Gilolo. mus. R. B. 8. 5°7 15 2°85 5 3 Amboina. Rosenberg. 57 15 2°8 Mr. George Robert Gray gives New Ireland as a habitat of the present bird. It very probably occurs, but I have never read of its being met with there, neither does the British Museum possess a specimen from the locality. Mr. Wallace has kindly forwarded me the following note ‘* Alcedo moluccensis has the bill black, with a red patch at the base of the lower mandible; feet red; iris dark. It frequents banks of streams and eats small fish.” The descriptions and measurements, as well as the figures in the accompanying plate, are taken from an adult pair of birds. The male is from Celebes, sent to me by Mr. W. T. Fraser, the female from Bouru, collected by Mr. Wallace. a dee. Cai a Se Bee re aie 1a SD 8 Eek ee bo aa ALCEDO ASIATICA. ALCEDO ASIATIGCA. (MALAYAN KINGFISHER.) Alcedo asiatica, . . - + . Swains. Zool. Ilustr. 1st ser. I, pl. 50 (1821). - Alcedo meningting, ° . . ; Horsf, Trans. Linn. Soc. XII, p. 172 (1822). Ceyx meningting, A : a “ Cuv. Regne. Anim. I, p. 444 (1829). Alcedo bengalensis, : . : - Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 243 (1831, nee Gim.). * Alcedo Verreauxii, Tt “eee a De la Berge, Rev. Zool. 1851, p- 305, pl. 9. Meningting of the Javanese (Horsfizld). Binti, of the Natives of Sumatra (Raffles). A. torque pectorali nulla: abdomine intensé rufo: minor: rostro breviori: pileo leté cyaneo fasciato. Hab. in regione Indo-Malayana. _ Male. Head and cheeks dark blue, banded with bright cobalt ; a longitudinal patch of thers along the sides of the neck, white tinged with rufous ; back beautiful bright cobalt ; pulars black washed with blue ; wing-coverts black, washed and spotted with bright 1e ; quills black, the inner web very light rufous at the base, the outer web washed with le, more especially on the secondaries ; tail blueish-black ; throat whitish ; a spot in front eye rufous edged with black ; under surface of the body with the under wing- and coverts bright rufous, extending up the neck in very old birds ; bill black ; feet red. Female. Similar to the male, but the colours not so bright, the cheeks and ear-coverts instead of blue, and the lower mandible orange. Young Male. Similar to the old female, but shewing a few blue feathers on the red cheeks. Hab. Maunbhoom (Beavan), Cochin China (mus. R. B. S.), Tenasserim (mus. Ind.), man Islands (Tytler), Penang (Cantor), Malacca (Wallace), Singapore (mus. Brit.), (Raffles), Java (Horsfield), Bangka (mus. Lugd.), Lombock (Wallace), Celebes, sar (Wallace), Gorontalo (von Rosenberg), Borneo (mus. R. B. Sharpe), Labuan (Motley). ditional references.—Alcedo asiatica, Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 281 ; Gray, Mandl. of B. App. p. 402 (1869). eninting, Temm. Pl. Col. 239, fig. 2 (1823); Raffl. Mem. p. 655 (1830); Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 81 ‘Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 16 (1848); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 63 (1848); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. . p. 49 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 158 (1850) ; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 4, t. ecexciv, fig. 1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 3 (1852) ; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854) ; Horsf. & lat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I. p. 130 (1854) ; Moore, P.Z.S. 1854, p. 269; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. 1860) ; Mason, Burm. p. 671 (1861) ; Wall. P.Z.8. 1863, p. 484; Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 7 et Vog. Ned Ind. Alced. pp. 6, 44, pl. 3 (1864) ; Pelz. Voy. Nov. Vog. p. 50 (1865) ; Beav. Ibis, 1867, 9; Gray, Handl. of B. p. 95 (1869). Alcedo Verreauxii, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 5. t. cecciii, fig. 3173 } Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 348. There can be no question that the name of Alcedo asiatica of Swainson is the proper one to be employed for the present bird, and I am glad to see that Mr. Gray in his ‘‘ Hand- list’? concurs in this rectification which was first proposed by me (/.c.). When at Cambridge I looked over the Kingfishers in the Swainson collection and there discovered the type of his Alcedo asiatica, which is said to be from Java, collected by Dr. Horsfield, and is doubtless one out of the series from which the latter described his A. meninting. Ornithologists have invariably accorded precedence to the latter name, but by reference to the dates given above it will be seen that Swainson’s name has priority. The Alcedo Verreauxi of M. de la Berge is nothing more than the female of the present species. ‘he rufous cheeks and orange lower mandible, which are supposed by the describer to be specific distinctions, are simply the characteristics of the female Alcedo asiatica. I have examined several carefully sexed specimens brought home by Mr. Wallace, as well as several others in the Leiden Museum collected by von Rosenberg, and have ascertained this fact to a certainty. The young males at first resemble the old females, but — gradually assume the blue on the cheeks and ear-coverts and get the bill black. M. de la Berge also lays stress on the smaller size of the Bornean bird in favour of its specific separation. I have examined a great many specimens from different parts of Borneo, and find that they run generally a little smaller than those from Celebes or Java, but I know no Kingfisher that varies more in general size than the present species, and I have seen many specimens from Java fully as small as any from Borneo, so that no reliance can be placed on this as a specific character. Excepting a slight difference in size specimens from all countries are very similar, with the exception of those from Eastern India and Cochin China, which present some difference in coloration, being of a brighter blue above and deeper red underneath than specimens from other localities. The inclusion of the bird in the ‘Indian’ Avi-fauna henceforth rests upon the authority of a bird in Lord Walden’s collection collected by the late Captain Beavan and bearing the label ‘““Maunbhoom February, 1865.” Captain Beavan identified this specimen as Alcedo bengalensis, but it is clearly not that species as it has red on the cheeks, a sure sign of A. asiatica, I subjoin the comparative measurements of a.series of specimens. No Sex Name. Locality. Authority. Long tot. Rostr. Al. 1. 3 A. asiatica. Lombock. Wallace. 6:0 1-4 2°5 2. 3 a Malacca. Wallace. 5°5 ~ 1:45 2°5 3. 3b is Malacca. Wallace. 5°5 1:5 2°6 4. P * Macassar. Wallace. 6:3 1°4 2°5 5. - West Java. Wallace. 5°6 1:4 2‘5 6. ‘ Java. Horsfield. 5°9 1°5 2°6 a. it Java. Horsfield. 57 pe 2°5 8. P 7 Java. Mus. Lugd. G:Bs. va inf 2°8 9. “3 Borneo. Mus. R.B.S. 5°3 1-4 2°45 10. 3 es Borneo. Mus. Lugd. 5.2 1°6 2°5 11. “fi Labuan. Motley. 6:0 1°5 2:4 12. 3 99 Cochin-China. Mus. R.B.S. 6:0 1:8 2°8 But little has been recorded of the habits of the Malayan Kingfisher, which, however, are doubtless those of a true Kingfisher. Mr. Blyth informs me, however, that it replaces on the coast Alcedo bengalensis of the interior. The figures in the accompanying plate represent a male and female collected by Mr. Wallace during ‘his expedition to the Malay Archipelago, the former being from Lombock in Lord Walden’s collection, the latter from Macassar in my own cabinet. The former of these two birds has been made the subject of the detailed description of the species given in the present article. Pa es ees es ee ee eee, a ————— Ce | a | ALCEDO QUADRIBRACHYS. ALCHEDO QUADRIBRACHYS. (DARK-BLUE KINGSFISHER.) Alecedo quadribrachys —. : : Sarr . Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 158 (1850). & A. torque pectorali nulla: abdomine intensé rufo: major: rostro longiori: pileo obscure cyaneo fasciato. Hab. in Africa occidentali et in prov. Natalensi Africe Australis. __ Head, neck, cheeks and scapulars rich ultramarine ; the whole of the back and upper _tail-coverts rich cobalt; a small spot in front of the eye and a longitudinal patch of feathers _ along the sides of the neck white tinged with rufous ; wing-coverts blackish washed with z ultramarine, quills blackish, the inner web pale fulvous at the base, the outer web edged with blue; tail blackish margined with blue; throat white; rest of the under surface of _ the body deep rufous; a patch of feathers on each side of the upper part of the breast rich -ultramarine ; bill black ; feet red; eye black. Total length 6°5 inches, of bill from front 16, from gape 271, wing 2°9, tail 1°3, tarsus 0°3, middle toe 0°3, hind toe 0°35. . eS Hab. Senegal (Swains. mus. Cantabr.), River Gambia (mus. R. B. Sharpe), Dabocrom (Pel), Cameroons (mus. R. B. Sharpe), Gaboon (Verreaux), Camma River (Du Chaillu), uffalo River, Natal (Jules Verreaue). _ The name guadribrachys was applied to the present species by the late Prince Bonaparte ‘(from a MS. name of Temminck’s in the Leiden Museum), to distinguish it apparently om the three-toed Australian Kingfisher, Alcyone azurea, to which it bears at first sight a n resemblance. But its nearest ally is the Malayan Alcedo asiatica, to which it closely ilates. The sexes, however, are alike in the present species, as far as I know, and it further be distinguished by its larger size. The blue bars on the head are also not so distinct as in its Malayan congener. MM. Jules and Edward Verreaux in their valuable papers on the Ornithology of Gaboon (/.c.) have given a very excellent diagnosis of this beautiful Kingfisher. They Additional references.—Alcedo quadribrachys, Verr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 267; Reich. Handb. d. p. 5 (1851); Strickl. Contr. to Orn. 1851, p. 134, pl. Ixxix ; Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 2 (1852) ; 4 . Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 3; Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 8; Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 360 et Orn. Westafr. p. 84 (1857) ; Schl. Handl. der Dierk. pl. iv. fig. 43 (1857) ; d. Mem. of Strickl. p. 331 (1858); Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1859, p. 34; Gurney, Ibis. 1859, p. 245; ( dees f. Orn. 1860, p. 187; Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 106 ; Du Chaillu, Eq. Afr. p. 472 (1861) ; ‘hl a us. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 9 (1863); Layard, B. of 8. Afr. p. 66 (1867); Sharpe, Ibis 1869, p. 283 ; Gray, . of B. p. 95 (1869). state that its food consists of fish, which it catches after the manner of our Kingfisher by plunging into the water. The female differs from the male only in having the base of the under mandible reddish. The young bird, according to the notes of these Ornithologists, may be distinguished by the back, which is of a greenish blue, and by its slightly smaller size. The breast has also the feathers washed with shining blue, and the blue of the other parts of the body is less bright than in the adult bird. Mr. Gurney (/.c.) publishes a very interesting note by Mr. Ayres on the habits of the present species, as observed by him in Natal. He says that it feeds entirely on fish, and does not, however, like Ceryle rudis, but darts on its prey from a bough above the water. it frequents both the coast and the interior. I am inclined to believe, however, that the bird to which Mr. Ayres here refers is Alcedo semitorquata, for one of the specimens collected by him and afterwards presented by Mr. Gurney to the Museum at Kings’ Lynn is labelled Alcedo quadribrachys, but belongs really to the above-named species. Moreover, on my writing to Mr. Ayres to forward me a Natal specimen of the present species, he sent me A. semitorquata. I have, however, given the locality as a habitat for A. quadribrachys, for my friend M. Jules Verreaux assures me that he himself shot a pair on the Buffalo River in 1832. The description and measurements, as well as the accompanying figure, are from a fine specimen in my collection from Gaboon. o71V s oaa ‘vVivNOMOLINA ‘anf g°pe Cie J, Wey, 7 (7 ALCEDO SEMITORQUATA. (HALF-COLLARED KINGFISHER. ) Alcedo semitorquata, : ‘ : 5 5 : Swains. Zool. Illustr. pl. 151 (1823). Alcedo azureus, . , . : : : ; Less, Traité d’Orn. p. 243 (1831). A. torque pectorali nulla: abdomine aurantiaco. Hab. i Abyssinia, in Africa occidentali et australi. ¥ Head and nape deep blue, banded with bright blue, the sides of the head above the _ ear-coverts being of an exceedingly rich colour; back very rich cobalt; scapularies washed _ with bright blue; wing-coverts blue, spotted with cobalt; wing-feathers black, the inner _ web whitish from the base, the oute rweb broadly edged with blue, especially on the _ secondaries ; tail blue above, black beneath; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers _ along the sides of the neck white, the latter slightly tinged with orange; a very small loral spot light yellowish; under-surface of the body orange, the upper part of the breast having _ a large patch of blue feathers on each side, forming a half-collar; bill black; feet red. ~ Total length 7.5 inches, of bill from front 1.8, from gape 2.3, wing 3.2, tail 1.8, tarsus _ 0.25, middle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.25. x Hab. Abyssinia ( Riippell, Heuglin, Blanford), Senegal (mus. Hein.), Orange River (mus. _R. B. Sharpe), Cape Colony (Layard), Caffraria (Brehm, mus. Lugd.), Zambesi River (mus. — G. D. Rowley). This species is called the ‘ Half-collared’ Kingfisher, from its having the blue _ Additional References. —Alcedo semitorquata, Riipp. Syst. Ubers. p. 20, t. 7 (1845), Kaup. Fam. Alced. p. 17 (1848), Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I, p. 63 (c. 1844), Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 63 (1848), Bonap. ep. ugl. Sitz. Akad. Wien, 1856, p. 271, Cab. and Heine, Mus, Hein. th. II. p. 143 (1860), Hartl. Journ. f. - "kd ; patches of feathers on each side of the breast rather more largely developed than usual in the genus Alcedo, and nearly meeting in the centre. Very little is known concerning the habits of this Kingfisher, but they are doubtless similar to those of our own well-known bird. I cannot find any difference between speci- mens from different parts of Africa. My friend Mr. W. T. Blanford very kindly submitted to my inspection the only specimen obtained by him during the late Abyssinian Expedition, and this is apparently identical with a specimen from the Cape, sent me by Mr. Layard. It would appear to be most numerous in this latter locality, being locally distributed in Abyssinia, and decidedly rare in Western Africa. I have a fine pair in my collection, from the Orange River, and also some specimens obtained at Knysna by the late Mr. Andersson, while Mr. Layard has recorded its occurrence in the actual vicinity of Cape Town. Dr. Th. von Heuglin informs us that the present species is found in ‘ Schoa and Abyssinia, generally along the banks of the small rivulets, especially in the marshy ground near Takasseh, between 2,000 and 6,000 feet above the level of the sea.”’ Mr. Blanford obtained his specimen near Adigrat at an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet. The description and measurements are taken from a fine male specimen in my collec- tion, from the Orange River. The hinder figure represents a young bird with blackish markings on the breast, for the opportunity of figuring which I am indebted to the kind- ness of Mr. G. Dawson Rowley, who has on several other occasions rendered me valuable assistance in my study of Birds. “WNOZAYNG oaqzo1Vv ALCEDO EURYZONA. (BROAD-BELTED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo euryzona . * 6 6 «6 «4 . Temm, Pl. Col. livr. 83, text only (1830). Alcedo nigricans ‘ “ é ‘ A - Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1847, p. 1180. “ Alcedo cyanocephala, Shaw’? . : : : » Raffl. Trans. Linn. Soc. XIII, p. 293 (err.) _ A. torque pectorali lazulina: major: scapularibus nigris saturato beryllino lavatis. Hab. in subregione Indo-Malayané. Adult. Head black, narrowly banded with dark berylline blue; ear-coverts obscurely, cheeks profusely striped with brighter blue; a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck - orange; scapulars black, washed with dark berylline-blue ; wing-coverts black, banded _ with bright blue, each band having a brighter streak of blue down the centre; quills _ brownish black, pale orange at the base, externally washed with dark berylline-blue; entire _ back rich silvery blue ; tail dark greenish blue above, black beneath ; a very small spot in front of the eye pale orange ; throat and abdomen white, the latter tinged with orange ; a broad band across the breast bright lazuli blue ; bill black; feet red. Total length 8-0 inches, of bill from front 1:9, from gape 2°4, wing 3°4, tail 1:4, tarsus 0°4, middle toe 0°5. . Young. Head brown, obscurely barred or rather specked with dull blue; cheeks blackish _ brown striped with bright berylline blue ; a spot between the bill and the eye deep sienna ; _ asmall tuft of feathers at the base of the lower mandible pale sienna ; a large longitudinal _ patch of feathers at the side of the neck, white strongly tinged with deep sienna; and in consequence of the shortness of the crest feathers, these feathers on the side of the neck nearly meet behind the neck and almost form a nuchal collar; scapulars brown; wing- _ coverts brown spotted with bright blue, not banded as in the adult ; quills brownish black, the secondaries narrowly edged with greenish blue ; entire back silvery blue, but not so _ brilliant as in the adult; tail brownish black above, slightly glossed with green, dark brown _ beneath; throat white, tinged with pale sienna; rest of the under surface of the body _ chesnut, with no appearance of a breast-band, but a small patch of feathers on each side of the upper part of the breast brownish black slightly glossed with blue ; upper mandible _ dark brown, lower one yellowish; feet red. Total length 6°5 inches, of bill from front 1°6, _ from gape 2°0, wing 3°1, tail 1:3, tarsus 0°4, middle toe 0°5, hind toe 0°2. ~ Additional references.— Alcedo ewryzona, Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 81 (1847), id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 63 (1848), Kaup. Verh. Nat. Ver. Darmst. 1848, p. 77, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 159 (1850), Reich. Handb, Aleed. p. 4 (1851), Cass. Cat. Halc. Phil. Mus. p. 1 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854), Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 129 (1854), Schl. Mus. Pays Bas. Alced. p. 10 (1863), id. Vog. Ned. Ind, pp. 7, 45, pl. 1 (1864), Blyth, Ibis, 1865. p. 30 et 1866, p. 348, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, p. 95 (1869). Alcedo nigri- cans, Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 49 (184%). Hab. Malacca (Blyth, mus. Calc.), Sumatra (Raffles, mus. Ind.), Java (Miiller, mus. Iugd.), Borneo (mus. Philad.), This is a very rare species in collections, and ] am greatly indebted to Professor Schlegel for lending me specimens from the Leiden Museum for figuring in the present work. I know of only one example in this country, which is in the British Museum; and I have entirely failed to procure a single bird for my own collection. My friend Mr. W. T. Fraser, of Soerabaya, has done his utmost to get me specimens; but the success which has waited on his kind endeavours as regards the other species of Javan Kingfishers has not attended him in the present instance, for he writes to me that on only one occasion has he met with the Broad-belted Kingfisher, and then he had not his gun at hand. He rushed off for the latter at once, but unluckily on his return the bird had flown. The nearest ally to the present species is Alcedo grandis, but the resemblance is only in form ; for neither in this nor in any other species of the genus Alcedo is there such a vast difference in the young and adult birds as is exhibited in Alcedo euryzona. It would seem — to imply that the bird 1s ratner a recent species on the face of the globe, and that the species from which it was originally evolved was a true Alcedo in style of coloration and form, traces of the original ancestor being preserved in the young plumage of the bird of the pre- sent day. I eis give no details of the habits of the present species, but it doubtless resembles our Common Kingfisher in this respect. The figures are taken from specimens lent to me from Leiden by Professor Schlegel. The adult bird described and figured is Temminck’s original type, which was procured in Java by S. Miiller ; the young bird was brought by Dr. Horner from Sumatra. ALCEDO BERYLLINA. ALCEDO BERYLLINA. (BERYL KINGFISHER.) Alcedo beryllina, é : : - Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. xix, p. 414 (1818). Alcedo biru, ; 3 ‘ : : Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soe. xiii, p. 172 (1822). Alcedo cerulescens, . : : i Bon. et Vieill. Encl. Meth. I, p 394 (1823). Petit Martin-pecheur aiqgue marin, Temm. Cat. Syst. p. 213 (1807). Meningting-watu and Burong-biru, of the Natives of Java (Horsfield). A. torque pectorali lazulina: minor: scapularibus beryllinis. Hab. in insulis dictis ‘ Java,’ ‘ Lombock,’ ‘ Timor.’ Above beryl-blue, with transverse bars of brighter blue on the head ; back very rich silvery cobalt ; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web white near the base, the outer webs edged with bright blue ; throat, abdomen, a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck, under wing- and tail-coverts pure white; a band across the upper part of the breast extend- ing a little way down the sides deep lazuli-blue ; bill black; feet dark olive-brown. Total length 4.8 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 16, wing 2.4, tail 0.9, tarsus 0.2, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Java, (Horsfield), Lombock ( Wallace), Timor ( Vieillot). This beautiful little Kingfisher is a native of Java, whence it seems occasionally to stray into the islands of the Indo-Malayan Archipelago, since Mr. Wallace obtained it in Lombock, and, according to Vieillot, the original specimens in the Paris Museum came Additional References.—Alcedo beryllina, Hartl. Contr. to Orn. 1849, p. 20, Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 2 (1852). Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 11 (1863), id. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 8, 45, pl.3 (1864). Alcedo biru, Temm. Pl. Col. 239 (1823), Horsf. Zool. Research. in Java, pl. — (1824), Gray, Gen. of Birds, I. p. 81 (c. 1844), Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xv, p. 12 (1846), Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 63 (1848), Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soe. Beng. p. 50 (1849), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I. p. 158 (1850), Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 4, t. ccexciy, fig. 3052-538 (1851), Puch, Rey. Zool. 1853, p. 389, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854), Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. EI. Co. I, p. 130 (1854), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 423, Wall. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 484, from Timor. Professor Temminck states that it is an inhabitant of Sumatra, and the same locality is assigned to it by Professor Schlegel, but not apparently on any good authority, as the Leiden Catalogue does not enumerate a single specimen from that island. My belief is, that it does not occur in the island of Sumatra at all, and I have no evidence of its occurrence in any other part of Java except the eastern portion. It is a rare bird in collections. Dr. Horsfield has given us the following interesting details respecting its habits. ‘‘ This bird is by no means uncommon in Java. I observed it chiefly in the interior, in low situations ; but it is also found in the maritime districts. Its habits and manners are those of the European Kingfisher. It darts in short rapid flights along the surface, among rivulets and lakes, emitting as it moves shrill sounds in a high key. These sounds are so strong and acute, that, when the bird is near, they strike the ear in an unpleasant manner. It is not unfrequently seen perched on trees on the banks of rivulets. Its food consists of small fishes and aquatic insects.” A few more notes on its habits are found in Professor Schlegel’s ‘ Catalogue ’ from the pen of Viscount de Bocarmé, which I transcribe. “Tt is common enough along the creeks and at the mouths of the rivers, where it skims over the water in its rapid flight, often precipitating itself headlong in pursuit of little fishes. Its habits, in fact, are identical with those of the European Kingfisher.” I am indebted to my friend Mr. Wallace for the following observations :— ‘* This species is less of a forest bird than its ally A‘. meningting, being found chiefly in the plains of East Java and Lombock on the banks of the river. It has very much the habits of our own Kingfisher, and feeds, I believe, mainly on minute fish.” | have taken the description and measurements from a beautiful male bird, shot in the neighbourhood of Sourabaya, Java, by my friend Mr. W. T. Fraser, and sent home by him for my collection. From his bird the figure is also drawn. On examining the series of birds sent to me by Mr. Fraser, I am inclined to believe that the blue breast-band is gradually assumed, and that in very young birds it is absent. CORYTHORNIS VINTSIOIDES. CORYTHORNIS VINTSIOIDES. (DUSKY-CRESTED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo vintsioides, : : : ; Hyd. et Gerv., Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1836, p. 20, pl. 74. Corythornis vintsioides, : : ; Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 12 (1848). Ispida philippensis cristata, : F Briss. Orn. IV, p. 463, pl. xxxvii (1760). Vinchi or Bintsi, of the Natives of Madagascar (Newton, Pollen). C. rostro nigerrimo: supra leté ultramarina: cristé fuscescente-cyanea. Hab. in insula ‘ Madagascar ’ dict in insulis adjacentibus. Crown of the head crested, the feathers being dusky-green, with black shafts and a bar of black near the tip; sides of the head, back of the neck and entire upper-surface bril- liant ultramarine; wing-coverts black, washed and spotted with ultramarine ; quills blackish, the inner web bright rufous at the base, the secondaries externally washed with ultramarine; tail ultramarine above, black beneath; chin and a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck pure white; cheeks and rest of the under-surface of the body bright rufous; bill black ; feet red. Total length 5.3 inches, of bill from front 1.2, from gape 1.5, wing 2.3, tail 1.0, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Madagascar, and adjacent islands (Newton, Pollen and Van Dam). The first description of this little Kingfisher is to be found in Brisson’s ‘ Ornithologie’ (l.c.) where, however, the habitat is wrongly stated to be the Philippine Islands, but as in addition to the very careful diagnosis given, the bird is said to be called by the natives ‘ Vintsi,’ which is well known to be the native appellation in Madagascar for the present Additional References.—Corythornis vintsioides, Gray, Gen. of Birds, app. p. 5 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 164 (1850), Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 19, t. eeexci b. fig. 3404-5 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 86, id. Faun. Madag. p. 31 (1861), Roch and Newton, Ibis, 1862, p. 271, Newton, Ibis, 1863, p. 341. Alcedo vintsoides, Schl. Mus, Pays Alced. p. 12; id. P.Z.S. 1866, p. 421; Schl. and Poll. Faun, Madag. Ois. p. 59 (1868). species, there can be no doubt that the specimen described by Brisson really came from © that island. The rarity of Corythornis vintsioides in collections, and our comparatively small know- ledge of the ornithology of Madagascar, renders the account of its habitats very meagre, but in the valuable work recently published by Messrs. Pollen and Van Dam we find the fol- lowing interesting passage concerning it:— ‘This bird is very common in Madagascar and Mayotte. It is always to be seen on the borders of the rivers, brooks, lakes, cataracts, and in the forests of mangroves which extend along the sea-coast. It feeds on little fishes and certain aquatic insects, on which it preci- pitates itself with great rapidity. In other respects it lives in the same manner as our common Kingfisher, and has a very similar cry. At Mayotte it is often seen perched on the leaves of the sugar-cane, near the canals which traverse the fields, having its eyes continuously fixed on the water, and awaiting, with patience, the moment when a little fish or an insect presents itself underneath, to precipitate itself upon it swiftly by plunging into the water. Having seized its prey, it returns to devour it, to the branch that it has just quitted ; it may be seen lifting its crest, raismg and lowering its head, and remaining, often for an hour together, in an almost immovable position. This species is by no means shy, and allows itself to be easily approached. It lives almost always solitary, sometimes in pairs, and itis only on rare occasions that more than three individuals are seen together. We have found this bird at Mayotte, Nossi-bé, Nossi- falie, Tani-kely, Nossi-Bourrah and Madagascar. In this latter island it bears the name of ‘ Bintsi.’ Messrs. Roch and Newton state (/.c.) that in Madagascar this species was “ tolerably common along the coast, and observed up the country as far as Beforona,” and the latter gentleman observed (/.c.) it on his second visit to the island, to be as ‘‘ common as it was last year.” The description, measurements, and plate are taken from a beautiful male bird in my collection, procured from the ‘ Maison Verreaux.’ ‘anf -g pe ‘WiVLSIND SINHOHLAYOD CORYTHORNIS CRISTATA. (MALACHITE CRESTED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo cristata, : : ; : ; Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 178 (1766). Corythornis cristata, é toate / : Kaup. Fam. Alced. p, 13 (1848). Alcedo cyanostigma . 3 ; ; " Riipp. Neue Wirb. pl. 24 (1835). Corythornis cyanostigma ; f : Kaup. Fam. Alced. p. 13 (1848). Alcedo cyanostigmata, ‘ : : Des Murs, Voy. en Abyss. Zool. p. 81 (c, 1848). Petit Martin-pecheur de UVIsle de Lugon . Buff Pl, Enl. 756. C. rostro leté corallino: cristé longissima malachitaced, Hab. in tota regione Zthiopica. Adult Male. (South Africa). Head with a malachite-green crest, each feather being greenish-blue with a black shaft, and crossed by two black bands, the tip of the feather being black preceded by a band of blue; the feathers at the sides of the crest elongated and uy broader; sides of the head and entire upper surface of the body, rich ultramarine; wing- 5 coverts blackish washed with blue; quills brownish black, the secondaries edged with faint ultramarine; tail ultramarine above, black beneath; chin and a longitudinal patch of fea- thers along the sides of the neck, white; cheeks, ear-coverts, and rest of the under-surface of the body, rich rufous; bill and feet coral-red. Young female. Head crested, dusky-greenish, with very broad black shafts and bands, the feathers on the nape with a slight silvery lustre; back and scapularies light brown with light cobalt bars; back ultramarine washed with cobalt; tail ultramarine above, brown beneath ; quills light brown, the inner web light rufous from the base, the outer web edged with light ultramarine; lores light rufous; cheeks rufous with little black markings ; Additional references.— dAlcedo cristata, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 447 (1788), Shaw, Gen. Zool. VII, p. 98, pl. 12 *) Lath, Gen. Hist. of Birds, IV, p. 45 (1822), Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 12 (1823), Bon. et Vieill. Encl. Meth. , p. 295 (1823), Guerin Meney. Iconogr. pl. 28 (1819), Kittl. Kupf. Vog. pl. 29 (1833), Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p- 81 (c. 1844), id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 64 (1848), Des Murs, Voy. en Abyss. Zool. p. 82(c. 1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen, Ay. I, p. 159 (1850), Hartl. Beitr. Orn. Westafr. p. 18 (1852), id. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 5, Verr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1855, p. 353, Mill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 8, Hartl. Orn, Westafr. p. 36 (1857), Heugl. Journ. 2 Orn. 1862, p. 289, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 11 (1863), Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 325, Layard, Birds of S, Afr. p. 65 (1867), Hartl, and Finsch, Orn. Ostafr. p. 167 (1869). Oorythornis cristata, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 18, t. eeciii, fig. 8176-77 (1851) Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 4 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis, p. 10 (1854), Gurney, This, 1859, p. 245, Cab. and Heine, Mus, Hein, th. IT, p. 146 (1860), Hartl. Journ, f, Orn. 1861, p. 105, Heugl. Journ. f. Orn, 1864, p- 333, Bocage, Jorn. Acad. Lisb. I, p. 134, (1868), Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, pp: 280, 283. Alcedo cyanostigma, Ferr. et. Gal. Voy. en Abyss. Zool. III, p. 248 (1847), Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 81 : 1344, id. Cat. Fiss, Brit. Mus. p. 64 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 164 (1850), Heugl. Sitz. Akad. Wien, 856, p. 270, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 11 (1863), Antin. Cat. Deser. Coll. Uce. p. 29 (1864), Hartm. Journ. f Orn. 1864, p, 226, id. Journ. f. Orn, 1865, p. 203. Corythornis cyanostigma, Reich, Handb. Alced. p. 19, t. ceexey, fig. 3057-58 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 4 (1852), Mull. Journ, f, Orn, 1855, p. 8. il +s = _ throat and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck yellowish white; under surface of the body pale rufous, lighter down the centre of the body ; bill and feet blackish, tinged slightly with red. Total length 5.0 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.75, wing 2.4, tail 1.1, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.3. (Right-hand figure.) Very young. Similar to the last, but the plumage much darker brown, the bars of blue being narrower and those on the head darker; the bars of cobalt on the wing-coverts and scapularies very distinct, upper part of the breast marked with a darkish brown line. Total length 4.3 inches, of bill from front 0.8, from gape 1.05, wing 2.0, tail 1.65, tarsus 0.2, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.2. (Left-hand figure). Hab. Abyssinia (Heuglin), Tigre; Dongola, Agula (Blanford), Nubia (Lichtenstein), White Nile (Petherick), River Gambia (mus. R. B. Sharpe), Bissao ( Verreaur), Casamanze (Verreauxr), Fantee (Bowditch), Ashantee (mus. J. Gould), Bonny River (Jardine), Gaboon (Verreaux), St. Thomas (mus. Lisb.), Angola (Monteiro), Cape Colony (Layard), Natal (Ayres), Transvaal (Ayres) Caffraria (Wahlberg, Bulger), Zambesi (Kirk). In a paper recently published in the ‘‘Ibis,” I entered fully into the question of the various races of this species to be met with in the Aithiopian Region, and came to the conclusion that, beyond the larger size of the South African birds, there was nothing to justify their separation from the form occurring in Western Africa and Abyssinia. At the time I wrote that article I laboured under the disadvantage of not being able to examine more than one specimen from North Eastern Africa, an imperfect skin sent from the White Nile by Consul Petherick, for the opportunity of inspecting which, I was indebted to my kind friend Mr. Gould. I decided, however, that there was no reason to separate the Abyssinian bird as a distinct species, and subsequent experience have proved the correct- ness of this view, for Mr. W. T. Blanford, the Geologist attached to the late Abyssinian Expedition, had the courtesy to submit to me two specimens obtained by him during his sojourn in that country. These evidently belong to the same small race as the bird from the White Nile. I subjoin the measurements of the two Abyssinian specimens, and those of the other birds from Western and South Eastern Africa examined by me in my.paper in the ‘‘ Ibis.” No.| Sex. Locality. Authority. Long tot. Rostr. Al. ] g Acula Blanford 4-6 1:15 2.25 2 3g Dongolo Blanford 46 1.2 2-2 3 White Nile Petherick 4-75 21 4 R. Gambia mus R. B. 8S. 4:70 1-15 2-2 ee Benguela Monteiro 4°80 1:15 2-2 é | a West Africa Verreaux 5:00 1:25 21 7 | Natal Ayres 5°20 1-20 2°3 8 Natal Ayres 6-00 1:20 2:3 9 | Cape Colony (?) mus. R. B.S. 530 1:30 2°3 It will be seen at a glance that the bird from Western Africa is intermediate in size between the one from Abyssinia and that from South Africa. Should, however, some future Ornithologist be bent upon separating the Abyssinian bird as distinct, it must bear the name of Corythornis cyanostigma, as the type of this supposed species came from Abyssinia. ; The Alcedo cyanostigma of Riippell has generally been considered distinct, and I admit that taking the two birds separately without having a series for comparison, they would be ronounced to be different. But it is really no other than the young of C. cristata. Dr. Hartlaub, indeed, in his very valuable work on West African Ornithology, takes this view, but in the new work on East-African Ornithology, I see the authors grant specific rank to Riippell’s bird. Dr. Cabanis supposes A. cyanostigma to be the young of C. coeruleocephala, but this also is erroneous, as we have by the exertions of Mr. Keulemans been ri i aa a i made thoroughly acquainted with the young of the latter species, and can affirm that it is quite different. I had the pleasure of exhibiting to Dr. Finsch on his recent visit to this country, the fine series of C. cristata in my collection, and he quite agreed with me in my conclusion as to the bird figured by Riippell (/.c.) being only the young. All the species of Corythornis and some of Ispidina (all, I believe, except J madagascariensis), when immature, have the body varied with cobalt bars, which gradually disappear as the bird becomes adult. To illustrate this as well as I could, I have had three stages of plumage figured in the plate accompanying this description. The centre bird is fully adult; that on the left hand represents the youngest specimen in my collection, and which could not long have left the nest, while on the right is given a figure of a young bird, corresponding as nearly as possible to the age of Riippell’s A. eyanostigma. The present species is spread over the whole of the A‘thiopian region, and is nowhere very rare. Dr. Finsch, however, thinks that the bird from the island of St. Thomas, stated to be this species by Professor Barboza du Bocage, is more likely to be C. cwruleocephala and I agree with the learned doctor in this supposition. Nevertheless, Mr. Keulemans expresses his belief from personal observation, that the true C. cristata is occasionally found there, and he also informs me that, according to the natives, a bird with a very long crest was sometimes met with in Prince’s Island, so that it may be an occasional visitor there also. That these little Kingfishers do sometimes take long flights, Mr. Keulemans is certain, for in some of his excursions to the different islands, he has seen them out at sea, skimming along the water, at least five miles from the nearest point of land. Mr. Layard (/.c.) observes :-—“ This beautiful little Kingfisher is abundant throughout the colony, wherever a stream or marsh exists which can supply it with its necessary food. It breeds in banks, and lays four or five glistening white eggs, so transparent that the yellow yolk shines plainly through the shell. I have not myself seen the nest, but have been assured by many who have, that it consists of nothing but the bones of the delicate little fish upon which the bird habitually feeds.” In the immediate neighbourhood of Cape Town, however, it seems to be not very common, for my friend Mr. Layard exerted himself vigorously to procure me some specimens, but without success, till at last he got quite by chance two at once, both young birds, which killed themselves by flying against a building in Cape Town. 3 Mr. Ayres’ notes on the present species in Natal are as follows :— ‘« Hye black ; legs and bill brilliant red; frequents both the coast and interior streams, and feeds on fresh water shrimps and small fish, but principally the former; also on beetles and insects; darts from a bough on its prey. Builds in holes in the banks, merely forming a small round chamber at the end of the hole.” Mr. Ayres has lately sent some eggs to the Rey. H. B. Tristram, and I am indebted to Mr. Gurney for the following note which was received by him from the same indefa- tigable collector. He observes :— “It bores a hole some two feet deep in the bank of a river or streamlet, forming a small round chamber at the end, in which four pretty white eggs are laid.” The following details have been kindly supplied me by Mr. J. J. Monteiro :— ““This beautiful little species is not uncommon all over Angola, particularly on the smaller rivers and lakes. It is a lovely object, as it flies actively about from twig to twig low over the water, and it has a pretty way when standing still of raising and depressing its beautiful little fan-like crest.” Dr. Kirk in his paper on the ‘Birds of the Zambesi Region” informs us that it is ‘universal on all the waters, sitting on the reeds or bushes which overhang them, and darting on its prey. A larger species of Alcedo was observed among the rapids of the Shiré, but not anywhere else.” I think this last species must have been Alcedo semitorquata, which is in Mr. Dawson Rowley’s collection from the Zambesi. In Abyssinia, according to von Heuglin, the present species is ‘*common and resident in Abyssinia, up to 10,000 feet above the level of the sea, but is rarer in the Bogos Country.” Mr. Blanford has very kindly given me the accompanying note:— “T found this Kingfisher only on the highlands of Abyssinia but never much above 7,000 feet above the sea. I did not meet with it on the Anseba, and suspect that it is confined to the temperate region. It keeps to the banks of streams, and has, so far as I had opportunities of judging, precisely the flight and habits of Alcedo ispida, sitting on a branch over the water and thence dashing down upon fish, and when disturbed skim- ming rapidly along the stream just above the surface of the water. I never saw it far from water. It was not very common.” Des Murs in Lefebvre’s “‘ Voyage en Abyssinie” observes :— ‘The first example was found on the river Assem near Adoua on the 25th of July, 1839, and a second was killed on the river of Waye Gonagona on the 7th of April, 1840. The bird has all the flight and habits of our common species, and frequents the borders of the rivers.” It will be seen from the accompanying observations of the Messieurs Verreaux, that their experience of the Abyssinian race being about the same size as the South African, is exactly contrary to my own and if their observations in this respect be correct, there can no hesitation in the mind of any Ornithologist in uniting the C. cristata from all parts of Africa under one and the same specific designation. I suspect, however, that as it is the case with so many other African birds, two races differing only in size may be found to inhabit respectively the highlands and plains of the same country. The above-named Ornithologists have given us the following note:— “This species exactly resembles that of South Africa, which appears to be widely diffused; for we can find no difference whatever, except the variation of size, the numerous examples which have passed through our hands during the thirty years we have busied ourselves with the study of Natural History and of Ornithology principally.” “We must state, however, that specimens from certain localities on the West Coast appear to us to be of a smaller size, while those from the Eastern portion, on the young of which our colleague, M. Riippell, has founded his A. cyanostigma, entirely resemble those from the Cape of Good Hope. We have gained proofs of this by the comparison that we have made during our journeys among public museums. For the rest, its manners are the same as the Alcedo ispida of Europe. In the adult birds, no difference exists between the sexes ; both have the iris clear blue, with the beak and feet lively red.” The description and measurements are from specimens in my own collection. ‘ant -g'pe 'WIWHdadDOTINYAOD SINHOHLAYOS CORYTHORNIS CHRULEOCEPHALA, (BLUE-CRESTED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo ceruleocephala, : : : ; 2 Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 449 (1788). Corythornis ceruleocephala : : : 5 Kaup. Fam. Alced. p. 18 (1848). Alcedo cyaneocephala, : é : : F Shaw, Gen. Zool. VIII, p. 100 (1812). Alcedo cyanocephala, : c : : : Hartl. and Finsch, Orn. Ostatr. p. 163 (1869). Corythornis cyanocephala, . : ; ; : Cab. and Heine, Mus, Hein. th. II. p. 145 (1860), Corythornis nais : é : ‘ F : Kaup, Fam, Alced. p. 12 (1848). Alcedo nais, : Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 64 (1848). Petit Martin-pecheur de Senegal : : : Buff. Pl. Enl. 356. C. rostro corallino: cristé breviori, letissimé cyanea. Hab. in Afric& occidentali, in Abyssinia et in Africd eur-australi. Head brilliant blue, with a long crest, each feather of which is blue with a black shaft and crossed by two black bands near the tip; sides of the head and rest of the upper surface of the body ultramarine ; wing-coverts black spotted with ultramarine; quills blackish, the inner webs pale rufous at the base, the secondaries edged with ultramarine; tail blackish with a tinge of ultramarine above; throat and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck, white; lores, cheeks, and the rest of the under-surface of the body rich rufous, paler in very old birds; bill and feet coral red; eyes dark brown. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.6, wing 2.2, tail 0.9, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. Hab. North Africa (mus. Brit.) Fazoglo (mus. Philad.), Az-Johannis, Tigre (von Heuglin), Senegal (Buffon), Gold Coast (mus. Lugd.), River Camma (Du Chaillw), Loanda (mus. R. B. Sharpe), St. Thomas ( Weiss, mus. Brem.) Tha do Principe (Dohrn, Keulemans), Mozambique (mus. Hein.). Additional references,—Alcedo cwruleocephala, Lath. Hist. of Birds, IV, p. 41 (1822), Bon et Vieill. Enc. Méth, I, p. 290 (1823), Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 243 (1831), Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 81 (c.1844), id..Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 64 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen, Av. I, p. 159 (1850), Hartl. Beitr. Orn. Westafr. pp. 1, 18 (1852), Brehm. Journ. f. Orn. 1853, p. 454, Hartl, Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 4, Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 8, Schl, Mus. Pays Bas. Alced. p. 11 (1863), Keul. Nederl. Tidschr. III, p, 377 (1866). Corythornis cwruleocephala, Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 50 (1849), Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 18, t. eeexevii, fig. 3063, t. eccciii b. fig. 3387, (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 4 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854), Cass. Proc, Philad. Acad, 1859, p. 34, Heine, Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 187, Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 105, Du Chaillu, Equat. Afr. p. 472, (1861), Heugl, Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 333, Dohrn, P.Z.S. 1866, p. 825, Bocage, Jorn. Acad. Lisb. I, p, 134 (1867). Corythornis nais, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 18 (1851), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn, 1854, p. 4, id. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 105. Alcedo nais, Gray, Gen. of Birds, App. p. 5 (1848), Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 37 (1857). Alcedo cyanocephala, Heugl. Orn. Nord-Ost. Afr. p. 181 (1869). Although the present species has been known ever since the time of Buffon, great uncertainty has prevailed up to the present date, as to its geographical distribution. Gmelin gives its habitat as Madagascar, and Lesson as Java, both of which localities are erroneous, and it is now known to be confined to the Aithiopian Region. I have never seen an authentic specimen from Abyssinia, although I suppose the two specimens presented by Lord Mountnorris to the British Museum from ‘‘ North Africa,” are really from some part of the Abyssinian sub-region. Brehm states that itis never found north of 15° n. lat., which assertion, however, needs a slight modification, as von Heuglin procured two speci- mens in a swamp at Az-Johannis in Tigré, which is somewhat north of the line indicated by Brehm. As regards the existence of Corythornis cceruleocephala in Mozambique, I am somewhat sceptical, as no authority is given for the specimen in Heine’s Museum. I hardly think its occurrence there likely, and I am by no means positive as to its being met with in Abyssinia, in all probability the small race of Corythornis cristata having been mis- taken for it. There ought, however, to be no difficulty in identifying the present bird, as the difference in the length and colouring of the crest is at once perceptible. According to the late Mr. Cassin, the Philadelphia Museum contains every known species of Corythornis and Ispidina, including Kaup’s. Corythornis nais and his Ispidina nitida. What the two birds thus designated by Mr. Cassin really are, I cannot imagine, as I have examined Kaup’s types in the British Museum and find that Corythornis nais is nothing © more than the young of C. ce@ruleocephala, and J. nitida is the young of JI. natalensis, as will be seen in the account of that species. I beg leave to draw the attention of the authorities of the Philadelphia Academy to this interesting question. Dr. Dohrn (/.c.) informs us that in Prince’s Island the Corythornis ceruleocephala is ‘‘eommon on the shore ; in a few instances I saw single specimens flying about in the interior of the island. The colour of the young bird is little different from that of old specimens ; the bill is black, and the white spots.on the throat and on the sides of the neck are very small. This species is as lively as Halcyon dryas is indolent. The native name is “ Pica-peixe.” I am indebted to Mr. Keulemans for the following note on the habits of this hitherto little-known Kingfisher, as observed by him during his residence in the Princes’ Island. “ Corythornis ceeruleocephala is a common bird near the sea-shore, and in the large river near the town of St. Antonio. It is very different in its habits from Halcyon dryas, being altogether a much more lively bird. Its food consists of fishes and water-insects. It breeds between the months of August and January. The eggs are five in number, white, almost round, and very glossy. They are deposited in holes or in clefts of rock, but I do not know if they make any nest. When not disturbed this little Kingfisher becomes very tame, and is particularly fond of frequenting the places where the native women are engaged in washing clothes. I suspect that the water being thus disturbed causes the aquatic insects to come to the surface, when they are eagerly pounced upon by the bird, which may be seen plunging into the water every minute. The natives call it ‘‘ Pica-peixe” which signifies fish catcher.” The description and measurements are taken from a very fine male bird in my collection from Loanda. The largest figure in the plate is a copy of a painting made by Mr. Keule- mans in Prince’s Island from a recently killed specimen, while the smaller figure represents the type-specimen of Kaup’s Corythornis nais in the British Museum, which will, I think, be recognised at once as only the young of C. ceruleocephala. a ae ee ee oe ALCYONE AZUREA- ALCYONE AZUREA. (AZURE KINGFISHER.) Azure Kingfisher, ; : : : ; : Lath. Syn. Suppl. p. 372 (1790). Alcedo azurea, ; 5 : : ; : Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. I, p. xxxii (1801). Ceyx azurea, : : : ; : , ‘ Steph. Gen. Zool. XIII, p. 106 (1826). Alcyone azurea, : ; : : : : Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 82 (1846). Alcedo tribrachys, ‘ : ; : , , Shaw and Nodd. Nat. Misc. pl. 281 (1804). Ceyx tribrachys, : ‘ é ? , ‘ Cuv. Regn. Anim. I, p. 417 (1817). Ceyx cyanea, : ‘ ; A : ; : Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 241 (1831). Alcedo australis, : : , . : 5 Swains. Classif. of B. II, p. 336 (1837). _ A. rostro tenuiore, longiore: pileo haud fasciato: hypochondriis rufis. Hab. in Australasia. Above bright ultramarine ; wing-coverts blackish, edged with ultramarine ; quills blackish, the inner web light rufous at the base, the secondaries externally edged with faint _ blue; tail deep ultramarine above, black beneath; a loral spot pale rufous; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck, white tinged with orange; cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of the upper part of the breast, bright ultramarine ; rest of the under yy surface of the body rufous, with a lilac lustre on the flanks and under tail-coverts; bill black; feet red. This species of Alcyone is the most common and widely distributed of the whole genus. It is found generally throughout Australia, being, however, replaced on the Northern ~ Coast by A. pulchra, and in Tasmania by A. diemensis, both of which I consider to be distinct _ species. ____ The subjoined account of this species is extracted from Mr. Gould’s “ Handbook.” “With the exception of Swan River, every colony of Australia, from Port Essington ‘on the North West to Tasmania in the extreme south, is inhabited by Azure Kingfishers ; _ -— Additional references.— Alcedo azwrea, Swains. Zool. Illustr. 1st ser. pl. 26 (1820); Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 17 (1863). Ceyx azuwrea, Jard. and Selby, I. Orn. I, pl. 55, fig. 1. -Aleyone azurea, Gould, B. of Austr. II, pl. 25 (1848); id. Intr. B. of Austr. p. 31 (1848); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 65 (1848); ‘Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 50 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Avy. I, p. 158 (1850); Reich, Vog. Newh. p. 278 (1850); id. Handb. Alced. p. 7, t. 897, fig. 3064-65 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus, p. 5 oe?) Macgill. Voy. Rattl. I, p. 856 (1852); Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Pelz. Voy. Novara, p. (1865) ; Gould, Handb. B. of Austr. I, p. 189 (1865); Sharpe, P. Z. 8. 1869, p. 855. but as they, although closely allied, constitute at least three distinct species, the present page must necessarily treat exclusively of the one that inhabits New South Wales and South Australia, over the whole of which countries it is dispersed, wherever brooks, ponds, and other waters occur suitable to its habits and mode of life. In size and in brilliancy of plumage, the Azure Kingfisher is intermediate between the species inhabiting the North Coast and that found in Tasmania; although generically distinct from the Kingfisher of Europe it has many characters in common with that bird. It subsists almost exclusively on small fish and aquatic insects, which it captures in the water by darting down from some bare branch overhanging the stream, and to which it generally returns to kill and devour its prey, which is swallowed entire and head foremost, after the manner of the little favourite of our own island. It is a solitary bird, a pair, and frequently only one, being found at the same spot. During the breeding-season it becomes querulous and active, and even pugnacious if any intruder of the same species should venture within the precincts of its abode. The males at this season chase each other up and down the stream with arrow- like quickness, when, the rich azure-blue of the back glittering in the sun, they appear more like meteors, as they dart by the spectator, than birds. The task of incubation commences in August and terminates in January, during which period two broods are usually brought forth. The eggs, which are of a beautiful pearly or pinkish white and rather round in form, are deposited at the extremity of a hole, in a perpendicular or shelving bank bordering the stream, without any nest being made for their reception; they are from five to seven in number, three quarters of an inch broad by seven-eighths of an inch long. The young at the first moult assume the plumage of the adult which is never afterwards changed. ‘The hole occupied by the bird is frequently almost filled up with the bones of small fish, which are discharged from the throat and piled up round the young in the form of a nest. Immediately on leaving their holes the young follow their parents from one part of the brook to another, and are fed by them while resting on some stone or branch near the water’s edge; they soon, however, become able to obtain their own food, and may be observed at a very early age plunging into the water to a considerable depth to capture small fish and insects.” “The sexes are precisely similar in the colouring of their plumage, neither do they differ in size. The young are very clamorous, frequently uttering their twittering cry as their parents pass and repass the branch on which they are sitting.” Mr. E. P. Ramsay has very kindly forwarded me the following interesting particulars respecting the habits of the present species :— ‘* Now while all the members of the genus Todiramphus are strictly land Kingfishers, all the members of the genus Alcyone have just the opposite habits, being always found in the vicinity of water; they love to dwell on the sides of creeks and rivers, either salt or fresh. The present species is abundant in all parts of New South Wales, wherever water is to be found ; they spend their time in watching for their prey from the branches overhang- ing the water-holes, creeks and rivers, edges of lakes and lagoons; in fact, wherever the trees along the water’s edge afford them shelter, and the denser the foliage, the better they are pleased. They are very expert in catching fish, and plunge deeply into the water, some- times completely under the surface. A pair have resorted for many successive breeding- seasons to a water-hole on the Dobroyde Estate, where they have tunnelled in the bank of soft clay, and they often occupy the same hole for several years in succession. The eggs are five in number, ‘9 inches long by *75 inches broad, round and pearly white, laid upon a floor of fish-bones, scales, and remains of coleptera; I have taken two good handfulls out of their nest on several occasions. The tunnel is usually from 20 to 30 inches long, 24 to 3 inches wide, and the chamber at the end about 5 inches in diameter. I differ from Mr. Gould in considering that the débris found in the nest of this species has been ‘ discharged from the throat and piled up round the young,’ from the simple fact that these bones and scales are found under eggs before the full complement has been laid for one sitting, secondly because, in nests placed on the banks of creeks, in which no fish are found, the débris consists of wings and legs of coleopterous insects, chiefly Anophegnathide and Buprestide, which on account of their horney elytra and covering are by no means suitable for food, and are therefore, I consider, brought in for no other purpose than to keep the eggs off the damp mud in which the birds frequently tunnel.” me “This fact was first brought under my notice by my old school-fellow and much lamented friend, the late Mr. F. Mate, perhaps the most talented scholar that ever won honours at Sydney University, but many times since we have found the debris of various kinds of insects brought in for a flooring.” The following extract is from the “ Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist,’ by the late Mr. H. Wheelwright :— ‘‘The real Australian Kingfisher is smaller than its European namesake, which it resembles much in habits and appearance; it is, however, of a uniform purple-blue colour, and the breast is deep orange. It was a summer migrant to us, and a pair or two might be there seen on every creek: they breed in the hole of a bank, and the eggs exactly resembled those of the British bird.” : The description as well as the plate are taken from a Queensland specimen in my collection. ; re yah, hy at ie fT VLe 2 ALCYONE PULCHRA. mee DUNE PULCHRA. (RESPLENDENT KINGFISHER). Alcyone pulchra, P é é , ; ‘ ? : é Gould. P.Z.S. 1846, p. 19. A. torque pectorali nullo: abdomine rafo: rostro tenuiore, longiore: pileo haud fasciato: hypochondriis pul- cherrimé ultramarinis. Hab. in Australia septentrionali. Above very brilliant ultramarine, a little deeper on the wing-coverts; wing-coverts brownish black, edged with ultramarine ; wing-feathers brownish; the inner web very light rufous at the base, the secondaries externally edged with ultramarine ; tail deep blue above, black underneath; a small spot in front of the eye light rufous; throat and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck white tinged with orange; cheeks and ear-coverts brilliant ultramarine; sides of the body also brilliant ultramarine, extending on to the flanks; rest of the under surface of the body deep rich rufous, with a lilac lustre on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; bill deep black ; feet orange. Total length 6.5 inches, of bill from front 1.95, from gape 2.2, wing 3.0, tail 1.3, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Australia, Cape-York Peninsula (Mus. R. B. Sharpe); Victoria River and Port Essington, N.W. Australia (Gould, Elsey). This species is very distinct from Alcyone azurea, with which it has been united by Prince Bonaparte and Mr. G. R. Gray, and may easily be distinguished by the intense ultramarine colouring on the sides of the body. It is also a more slender bird and the colours are brighter. The description and measurements, and the plate are drawn from a fine specimen in my collection from Cape York. This, as well as another specimen in my cabinet, shews a very narrow blue margin to a few of the breast-feathers ; in one they are so distinct as nearly to form a pectoral band. Additional references.—Alcyone pulchra, Gray, Gen, of Birds, I. p. 82 (1846); Gould, Intr. to Birds of Austr. p. 31 (1848); Reich. Vig. Neuholl, p. 278 (1850); id. Handb. Alced. p. 7 (1851); Cass, Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852); Elsey, P.Z.S. 1857, p. 25; Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. I. p. 141 (1865); Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1869, p. 356; Gray, Handl. of B. p. 96 (1869). ALCYONE DIEMENSITS. (VAN DIEMEN’S LAND KINGFISHER.) Aleyone diemenensis : : ; , 3 Gould, P. Z. 8. 1846, p. 19. Aleyone azurea , ; ; : : Ewing. Tasm. Journ. I, p. 56 (1842, nee Lath.) A. torque pectorali nullo: abdomine rufo: rostro tenuiore, breviore : pileo nigro indistincte fasciato. Hab. in Tasmania. Above deep blue, a little brighter on the rump, the head having the appearance of being indistinctly banded with dusky black; cheeks, ear-coverts, scapularies, and wing-coverts _ black washed with blue; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web light rufous from the base, the outer web distinctly washed with blue ; tail blue above, black beneath; a small loral spot, a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck, and the throat white tinged with rufous ; _ the whole of the under surface of the body deep rufous, with a very faint lilac lustre on the flanks; a large patch of feathers on the sides of the upper part of the breast black, with a slight blue lustre; bill black; feet red. Total length 6 inches, of bill from front 1:4, from gape 1:9, wing 3:1, tail 1°35, tarsus 0°3, middle toe 0°55, hind toe 0°25. Hab. Tasmania (Gould). : Mr. Gould first separated this species from Alcoyné azurea, and I have in a recent _ paper on the genus A/cyone kept it distinct. It can, however, be considered little more than a climatic variety of the Australian bird. In one of his letters my friend Mr E. P. Ramsay writes to me:— ‘« This species seems to have become very scarce of late years, and is rarely seen even in the most unfrequented parts of Van Diemen’s Land. It differs slightly in colour and markings from A. azurea, and also in size, being scarcely so large.” The description and measurements are from a Tasmanian skin in my collection. _ __ Additional references.—Alcyone diemensis, Gould, Introd. Birds of Austr. p. 31 (1848) ; Gray, Gen. of Birds, L p. 82 (ce. 1844); Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 18 (1848); Reich, Vig. Neuholl. p. 278 (1850); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein, th. II. p. 143 (1860); Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. I. p. 141 (1865); Sharpe, P. Z. 8. 1869, p. 355. Vw es dae ae : ~~ - = * . ; 1 r . . ? 4 a eo * « ALCYONE AFFINIS. ALCYONE LESSONI. moe yONE LESSONI. (LESSON’S KINGFISHER). Aleyone Lessonit : : . : : : Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1850, p. 69. Ceyxazurea ss : : . : : - Less. Voy. Coq. Zool. I, p. 690 (1826). Aleyone azurea . : : , : ; : Rosenb. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 118. A. torque pectorali nullo: abdomine rufo: rostro robustiore: supra saturate ultramarina. Hab. in- Nova Guinea et in insulis dictis ‘‘ Aru.” Above deep rich ultramarine; wing-coverts deep blue-black edged with ultramarine ; _ quills blackish, the inner web very light rufous at the base, the secondaries broadly edged _ with rich ultramarine; tail deep ultramarine above, black beneath; a minute loral spot _ rufous; a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck white tinged with pale - orange; throat whitish tinged with pale rufous; cheeks, sides of the neck, and a large patch of feathers on the sides of the upper part of the breast deep rich ultramarine, extending a _ little on to the flanks; rest of the under surface of the body deep rufous, with a rich lilac shine upon the flanks; bill jet-black; feet red. Total length 7 inches, of bill from front 1-7, from gape 2°1, wing 2°85, tail 1:2, tarsus 0°3, middle toe 0°5, hind toe 0°25. Hab. New Guinea (Lesson, Wallace), Aru Islands ( Wallace). : Although belonging to the same group of thick-billed Alcyones as A. afjinis, the present bird is distinct from that species, being altogether of a more rich ultramarine, not so bright as in its ally from Batchian. I have not seen very many specimens of Alcyone Lessoni, as it is a very rare bird in collections, but I have examined a large number of _ Aleyone affinis and believe that the two species are entirely distinct, as indeed we might expect from the difference in locality. ; I have taken the description from a fine adult bird collected by Mr. Wallace in Aru, and lent tome by him. The figure is taken from a New Guinea bird in my own collection, _ which I have thought it best to figure, as New Guinea is the typical locality for the present species. Additional references.—Alcyone Lessoni, Cass. Oat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852); Sclater, Journ. Linn. Soc. 1858, p. 156; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 353. Alcyone azurea, var. Lesson, Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 155 et P.Z.S. 1861, p. 433. | = mere yY ONE AFFINTIS., (BATCHIAN KINGFISHER). Alcyone affinis : : : : : : Gray, P. Z. 8. 1860, p. 348. = 33 : : ; ; : 3 Sharpe, P. Z. 8. 1869, p. 354. Alcyone azurea F 5 ‘ : : : Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. pp. 11, 47 pl. 3, (1864). A. torque pectorali nulo: abdomine rufo: rostro robustiore: supra letissime ultramarina. Hab. in insulis “ Batchian” et ‘Gilolo” dictis. Above brilliant ultramarine, brightest on the back; wing-coverts black washed with ultramarine; quills blackish, the inner web light rufous at the base, the outer web of the secondaries narrowly edged with ultramarine ; a very small loral spot faint rufous ; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck whitish tinged with orange- rufous, paler on the chin; cheeks, ear-coverts, and a patch of feathers on the sides of the upper part of the breast brilliant ultramarine; under surface of the body rufous, with a rich lilac lustre on the flanks ; feet red ; bill brownish black, towards the tip whitish. — Total length 6°7 inches, of bill from front 1:6, from gape 2-0, wing 3°85, tail 1:2, tarsus 0:3, middle toe 0°5, hind toe 0°25. Hab. Batchian, Gilolo ( Wallace). This bird is easily distinguished from its congener Alcyone Lessoni, by its slightly smaller size and by the brighter colour of the blue on the upper surface. The bill is _ remarkably stout, as will be seen on reference to the plate. Several examples are in the Leiden Museum from Batchian and Gilolo, and the description and figures are taken from a specimen from the latter island in Mr. A. R. Wallace’s collection. Sie ae he ALCYONE PUSILLA. ALCYONE PUSILLA. (LITTLE BLUE KINGFISHER.) Ceyx pusilla, . . : : Temm. Pl. Col. 595 (1836). Aleyone pusilla . . : : Gould, Birds of Austr. II, pl. 36 (1848). Alcedo pusilla, . ; ; : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 18 (1863). Nu-réa-bin-mo, of the natives of the Coburg peninsula (Gould). A. torque pectorali nullié: abdomine albo. Hab. in Australia septentrionali et in sub-regione Austro-Malayana. Above rich ultramarine, having a greenish tinge in some lights on the head, cheeks and wing coverts; quills blackish, the inner web lighter at the base, the outer web distinctly washed with greenish-blue, especially on the secondaries; tail blue above, black beneath ; a loral spot and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck, white, the latter slightly tinged with orange; entire under-surface white, with a greenish lustre on the breast in some lights; shoulders, sides of the breast and flanks, rich ultramarine; bill and feet greenish-grey; irides dark blackish brown. Total length 4.8 inches, of bill from front 1.15, from gape 1.4, wing 2.0, tail 0.85, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Rockingham Bay (Ramsay), Port Essington (Gould), New Guinea (Miiller), Aru Islands ( Wallace), Gilolo ( Wallace). This little species of Kingfisher is confined to the northern parts of Australia, and the islands of the Austro-Malayan sub-region and seems to be everywhere scarce. The original specimens were sent from New Guinea by the dutch traveller von Miiller, and others were afterwards discovered in northern Australia. Mr. Gould has published (/.c.) the following note respecting it. “This lovely little Kingfisher is a native of the northern portions of Australia; the specimens in my collection were all procured at Port Essington, where it is a rare bird; and from its always inhabiting the densest mangroves, is not only seldom seen, but is extremely difficult to procure; in general habits and manners it very much resembles the Alcyone azurea, but its flight is somewhat more shrill and piping and its flight more unsteady. Specimens of this species from New Guinea, which I have had opportunities of Additional references.—Ceyw pusilla, Miill. Verh. Ethn. p. 22 (1839), Gray, P.Z.S, 1858, p. 172, Finsch, Neu Guinea, p. 16 (1865). Aleyone pusilla, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 7, t. 398, fig. 8068-69 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852), Macgill. Voy. Rattl. II, p. 356 (1852), Sclater, Proc. Linn. Soc 1858, p. 172, Rosenb. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 118, Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. I. p. 142 (1865), Ramsay, P.Z.S. 1868, p. 383. Alcedo pusilla, Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. p.p. 12, 48, pl. 3 (1864). examining in the noble collection at Leyden, present no difference whatever from those found in Australia. The food of the Alcyone pusilla consists of small fish, which are taken precisely after the manner of the common Kingfisher of our own island. The sexes are alike in size and colour.” I am indebted to my friend Mr. E. P. Ramsay, C.M.Z.S., of Dobroyde, Sydney, N.S.W. for the following additional particulars concerning this pretty little bird :— ‘‘T have never yet had an opportunity of observing this minature Kingfisher in its natural state, but I hope that time is not far distant. Edward Spalding procured the only specimen I have seen (with some others which were finally lost) in the dense belts of man- groves at Rockingham Bay, where, he says, they are not only very rare but extremely difficult to procure. Their flight is quick, arrow-like and direct, their note a shrill pipiug cry. The measurements of a female in the Dobroyde collection are as follows :— Total length from tip of bill totip of tail . . . . 4.4inches. Bill from tip to forehead a. : 1.03°° », toangleof mouth =-s.% = s,s -< < yee ,, height of, at base. + Sj Ar. Die Os ne Wing, from flexure - .>) k/cgh Ble Gl 6 So. 3 Tail, from vent ee ee Pore we keys Tarsus ree Se ere Longest toe 0.4, its claw 0.2, totallength . . . . 06 ,, Hind toe 0.2, its claw 0.1, cS janie ee OD 6) Sey “Mr. Gould’s remarks on the colour and plumage of this species do not quite agree with the specimen I have before me, but doubtless they refer to adult males, while my specimen is marked a female. The bill is black, at the extreme tip horn-white, legs and feet light flesh-colour, claws horn-grey, iris dark brown.” In addition to Mr. Ramsay’s bird being a female, which may account for some slight differences in the colour between his specimen and that described by Mr. Gould, the fact of its having white at the tip of its beak shows clearly that it is not quite adult, this being a never-failing mark of a young Alcyone, and the differences, which seem nowhere more remarkable than in the colour of the feet, may thus be further accounted for. Mr. Wallace has with his usual kindness furnished me with a short note on the habits of the present species as observed by him in his travels in the Malay Archipelago. “ This minute Kingfisher frequents the banks of small streams in the deep forest, feeding on small fish and crustacea. It appears to be scarce, or perhaps from its small size and retiring habits, is less easily seen than its more conspicuous allies.” The description and measurements are taken from a specimen procured by Mr. Wallace in Gilolo and lent to me by him. The figure represents a beautiful old bird in my collec- tion, undoubtedly one of the finest ever brought to Europe, but I regret to say the exact locality where it was obtained is unknown. : . A es it ee ALCYONE CYANIPECTUS. ALCYONE CYANOPECTUS. (BLUE-GIRT KINGFISHER.) Ceyx cyanopectus, . : Fe EP . Lafr, Rev. Zool. 1840, p. 33. FP is : ‘ : S : Gray, Gen. of Birds, App. p. 5 (1848). Aleyone cyanopectus, . : : : Jard. Contr. to Orn. 1850, p. 82. Alcyone cyanipectus, 2 ; “ : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 158 (1850). x ad 2 : : : 5 Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 7, t.ccexcvi, fig. 3060 (1851). - ve A f ; d E Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854). a 4 F : 5 : 5 Hartl. Journ. f. Orn, 1854, p. lxiv. Alcyone cincta, ; : 4 : ; Jard, Contr. to Orn. 1850, plate only. Alcedo cyanipectus,. ° : : . Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 18 (1863). A. torque pectorali lata lazulina: mandibula nigricante, maxilla aurantia. Hab. in insulis Philippinis. ‘ Head deep bluish black, irregularly banded with bright blue, more thickly on the nape; _ the whole of the back rich shining cobalt; scapularies and wing-coverts black broadly _ washed with dark blue, the latter also spotted with bright cobalt; wing-feathers brownish black, the secondaries narrowly edged with indigo; tail black, washed with indigo; cheeks indigo, spotted with cobalt; a spot in front of the eye, a patch of feathers at the side of the neck, throat and upper part of the breast, whitish tinged with pale sienna; a band _ across the upper part of the breast and the flanks, deep indigo tinged with brighter blue _ on the latter; abdomen and under wing-coverts rufous; bill brownish-black, the lower _ mandible tinged with orange. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1.4, from gape _ 17, wing 2.5, tail 0.7, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.3, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Philippine Islands (mus. T. C. Eyton). E The present species was described by the late Baron de La Fresnaye as a Ceyw in 1840. _ Ten years afterwards a specimen was received by Mr. Eyton from the Philippines, and was sent to Sir William Jardine for description in the ‘“ Contributions to Ornithology.” The latter gentleman considered it to be new to science, and proposed to call it Alcyone cincta, and this name was printed on the plate, before it was discovered that Mr. Eyton’s bird was identical with La Fresnaye’s species. The members of the genera Alcyone and Ceyx differ much in their habits. The species of Alcyone seem to be almost entirely piscivorous and more allied to Alcedo, while the Ceyces are almost wholly insectivorous and seldom feed on fish. I believe that Mr. Gould’s new Ceyx philippinensis will be found really to belong to the genus Ceyx, although I have lately seen two specimens, one in the British Museum, and the other from Count Turati’s collection, which have the bill more elongated and the gonys less distinetly ascending than in the type specimen, which is accurately figured in my plate of the species. At present nothing is known of the habits of Alcyone cyanopectus, nor has its precise locality yet been ascertained. It will I think be found in the more southern islands of the Philippine group. I have taken my description from Mr. Eyton’s specimen, the same which Sir William Jardine described and the figure is drawn from a fine bird in the Leiden Museum. CERYLE GUTTATA. CERYLE GUTTATA. (HIMALAYAN SPOTTED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo guttatus, : : J : : Vigors, P.Z.S. 1830, p. 22. Megaceryle guttaia, . : : : . Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p, 10 (1854). C. sexibus simillibus: dorso fusco, nigro et albo transfasciato : minor. Hab. in plagi Himalayana. Head crested, black varied with white; upper surface of the body greyish-black banded with white; quills and tail black, spotted and banded with white; under-parts white, the upper part of the breast and flanks irregularly banded and spotted with grey ; bill blackish horn-colour ; irides dark brown; legs brownish black. Total length 12 inches, of bill from front 2.4, from gape 3.5, wing 7.0, tail 4.2, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.95, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Himalaya (Jerdon.) Having given a full detailed description of Ceryle lugubris, which C. guttata exactly resembles, I have contented myself with the above very short diagnosis of the present species; it will, however, be sufficient to distinguish it from its congener. Its geogra- _ phical area seems to be confined to the Eastern Himalayan region. Mr. Hodgson obtained _ it in Nepal, and Colonel Tytler remarks (/.c.), that he “saw very few on the Tonse and Jumna _ rivers, and none at any elevation beyond the height of the rivers.”—Dr. Stolickza (/c.) also states that it “occurs on the small streams beyond Rampoor, beyond Gaora and _ Serahan, up to an elevation of 7,000 feet ; in Kashmir it is very common.” Mr. Jerdon remarks that this species “has only been found in the Himalayas, frequent- _ ing wooded streams and rivers, and living exclusively on fish. It watches from a fixed _ perch, and darts down generally obliquely on its prey, not hovering, like its congener of _ the plains. I saw it near Dargeeling, up to 5,000 feet of elevation.” Additional references.— Alcedo guttata, Gould, Cent. Himal. Birds, pl. 5 (1832). Ceryle guttata, Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (c. 1844), id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 60 (1848), Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 48 (1849), Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 21, t. ececix, fig. 3104 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 6 (1852), Horsf. and _ Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 132 (1854), Gray, Cat. Mamm. and Birds of Nepal, p.57 (1863), Beavan, _ Ibis, 1865, p. 408, Tytler, Ibis, 1868, p. 196, Stolickza, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1868, p. 19. Megaceryle guttata, _ Cab. and Heine, Mus, Hein. th. II, p. 149 (1860). I am indebted for the following note to the kindness of my friend Captain R. C. Beavan :— “I have frequently observed this fine Kingfisher in the valley of the Great Rungeet River near Dargeeling, and procured a specimen there in 1862. It also occurs on the Rumaam and Rungeet rivers, but is nowhere common; it also extends down the Teesta as far as Julpigoorie where I am nearly sure I recollect seeing it in 1859.” The description, measurements and figure are taken from a beautifully preserved skin procurred in Nynee Tal, and given to me by my friend Captain C. H. T. Marshall. On this specimen I observe a slight tinge of tawny on the sides of the neck, while another skin in my collection has the whole of the under-parts distinctly washed with this colour. CERYLE LUGUBRIS. (JAPANESE SPOTTED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo lugubris : aes - Temm, Pl. Col. 548 (1834). “2 s : ‘ - . Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 2 (1863). Alcedo (Ceryle) lugubris . : - Temm. and Schl. Faun. Jap. Av. p. 77, pl. 38 B (1850). Ceryle lugubris . . é ; Bonap. Consp. Gen. I. p. 160 (1850). ae a : 2 . , Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 22, t. ecceviii, fig. 3099-3100 (1851). = 7 : ‘ , : Swinh. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 333. Megaceryle lugubris . : ; ; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854). es sa “ - ; 6 Cab, and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II. p. 149 (1850), C. sexibus simillibus: dorso fusco, nigro et albo transfasciato: major: rostro magis compresso, Hab. in insulis Japonicis. Head with a largely-developed crest, the feathers of which for the most part are black, spotted and waved with white, a few (especially in the centre of the crest) pure white, and a few white with only an occasional black spot; lores, cheeks, eye-brows and ear-coverts black variegated with white; a broad band of feathers commencing at the base of the lower mandible and encircling the neck, pure white, below this a narrow line of feathers becom- ing broader as it approaches the side of the neck, white variegated with black and tinged with tawny; back and scapularies fuscous-grey banded and spotted with white, a little paler on the lower part of the back; quills and tail dusky black, spotted and banded with white, especially on the inner web; under-surface of the body white, the upper part of the breast and flanks with more or less distinct black bars; under wing- and tail-coverts pure white with a black spot here and there; bill dark horn colour; feet olive-brown. Total length 16 inches, of bill from front 2.3, from gape 3.0, wing 7.6, tail 4.7, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.9, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Japan (Siebold), Nagasaki (Whately). It is indeference to the high authority of Professor Schlegel and his predecessor Prof. ~Temminck, that I am induced to consider the present bird distinct from the Himalayan ‘species. The only difference adduced by Professor Schlegel between them is the slightly larger size and more compressed beak of the Japanese bird, and I leave it to the considera- = tion of Ornithologists whether these characters are sufficient to indicate anything more than a larger race of Ceryle guttata. As far as our knowledge of the two species extends we have only practical evidence of the one being met with in the Himalayas, and of the other being confined to Japan, no specimens of a large spotted Kingfisher having been procured in the intervening conntry; but Temminck .distinctly states that Chinese writers mention it as an inhabitant of Northern China, and is therefore possible that a form may yet be found in the mountains of this part of the continent, which may connect the two races. I have thought it best, however, to give a full description of the Japanese bird, but have not given a figure of it, inasmuch as in colour and markings it exactly resembles the Hima- layan Spotted Kingfisher. The following is a comparison of the measurements of a Japanese specimen with two Himalayan birds now lying before me. l. Cerylelugubris . - Nagasaki (Whitely). Long. tot. 16. inches, al. 7.6, rostr. 2.3. 2. Ceryle gquttata 4 . Himalaya (mus. R. B.S.) ,, 93 WAS - 4) 4p OEE eee 3. ” ” - S, ” ” ” ” 14.5 ” ” i. ” 2.3. I could give a longer series of comparative measurements, but those brought forward are sufficient to show that the Japanese bird is a little larger, and this, with the addition of the slightly more compressed bill, is really the only difference. The following observations, taken from Prof. Temminck’s original description in the ‘“‘Planches Coloriées” is all that we know respecting the habits of the present species:— ‘‘This new species was brought by M. van Siebold from Japan, where it is very rare. The native Japanese names for it are Samo-dort (Spotted Bird), Kabuto-dori (Crested Bird), Kawara-dori (River Bird), and in Chinese Kon-fu-tsjo (Pretty female of a bird), or Kwa-van-tsjo (Little spotted flower of a bird). It is found on the borders of rivers and torrents, where it feeds on fishes and worms; it appears to be spread over the three large islands in Japan. M. Siebold observed it near Nagasaki and Jedo. It is men- tioned in Chinese writings as inhabiting the north of China and the adjacent island of Corea. The Japanese value it as an object of curiosity and keep it in confinement.” I have only met with one specimen of Ceryle lugubrisin England. This was in Mr. Gould’s collection, and with his usual courtesy was lent to me by that gentleman for the use of the present work. It was brought from Nagasaki by Mr. Whitely during his recent expedition to Japan. The description and measurements are from this specimen. —_ vas CERYLE RUDIS. CHERYLE RUDIS. (PIED KINGFISHER). Martin-pécheur noir et blanc de Senegal : : Buff. Pl. Enl. 62. Martin-péchear huppé du Cap de Bon Esperance . Buff. Pl, Enl. 716. Alcedo rudis ; : ; ; : Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 181 (1766). Ceryle rudis . : $ ‘ 3 , : Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316. Ispida rudis . " : , : : ; Jerd. Madr. Journ. 1840, p. 232. Ceryle varia. ‘ : : ! 5 ‘ Strickl. Ann. Nat. Hist. VI, p. 418 (1841). Ispida bitorquata - , : : : Swains. Classif. of B. p. 336 (1837). Ispida bieincta . : _ A ; ‘ : Swains. B. of W. Afr. II, p. 95 (1837). Ceryle bicincta . : - : 4 - . Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 20 t. ccceviii, fig. 3098 . (1851). Ceryle leucomelanura ‘ : - : . Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 21, t. ecccix, fig. 3488 (1851). C. sexibus dissimilibus: dorso nigro albo variegato. Hab. in tota regione Aithiopica, in regione Indica et in parte meridionali regionis arctica. : Additional references.—Alcedo rudis, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 247 (1788); Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 247 (1790) ; Bonn. et Vieill. Encl. Meth. I, p. 454 (1823); Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 242 (1831); Frankl. P. Z.8. 1831, p. 116; P. Z.8. 1832, p. 84; id. P. Z. S. 1835, p. 62; Gould, Birds of Eur. pl. 62 (1837); Macl. P. Z. S. 1839, p. Pears. Journ. As. Soc, Beng. 1841, p. 685; Ewer, P. Z. 8. 1842, p. 92; Des Murs, Voy. en Abyss. Zool. 1848); Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 2 (1863). Ceryle rudis, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316; Keys. and Blas. pb. Eur. p. xxxv (1840); Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 84 (1845); Ferr. Voy. en Abyss. Zool. III, p. 248 ; Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 60 (1848); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 159 (1850); Strickl. P. Z. S. , p- 216; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 20, t. ceceviii, fig. 3097 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 4 (1852); mm, Journ. f. Orn. 1853, pp. 97, 454; Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, pp. 5, 155; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 54); Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 67 (1854); Moore, P. Z. 8. 1854, p. 269; Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 9; Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 360; Strickl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 216; Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 87 (1857); Adams, §. 1858, p. 474; id. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 174; Tristr. Ibis, 1859, p. 27; Taylor, Ibis, 1859, p. 47; Gurney, 859, p. 245; Swinh. Ibis, 1860, p. 49; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. HU, p. 148 (1860); Heine, Journ. 1860, p. 187; Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 105; Swinh. Ibis, 1861, p. 31; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 228 ; Birds of Ind. I, p. 232 (1862); Allen, Ibis, 1862, p. 361; Swinh. P. Z. 8. 1863, p. 269; Gray, Cat. . and Birds of Nep. p. 24 (1863); Bree, Birds of Eur. II, p. 166 (1864); Adams, Ibis, 1864, p. 15 ; This, 1864, p. 237; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 325; Beav. P. Z. 8. 1865, p. 692; id. Ibis, 1865, p. 408; ‘Tristr. 866, pp. 84, 86; Swinh. Ibis, 1866, p. 292; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 349; Taylor, Ibis, 1867, p. 56; Swinh. 1867, pp. 399, 408; Degl. et Gerbe, Orn. Eur. I, p. 176 (1867); Stolickza, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1868, . Ceryle varia, Strickl. P. Z. 8. 1842, p. 167; Phillips, P. Z. 8. 1857, p. 89; Gould, P. Z. 8. 1859, p. 50; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. I, p. 150 (1860). Adult Male. Uead crested, black, striped narrowly with white, plainer on the cheeks ; a broad superciliary line extending downwards on to the sides of the neck, white ; the rest ot the body black varied with white, the latter colour predominating on the lower part of the back and rump; quills black, white at the base, the secondaries barred with white, the primaries externally white at the base, forming a large white patch; tail feathers black, spotted and tipped with white ; under surface of the body pure white with two black bands across the breast ; a few black marks on the flanks, and sometimes a few spots on the throat; bill black; feet brown ; eye dark-brown (Jerdon), black (Ayres). Adult Female. Similar to the adult male, but has only one band across the breast. Young. Similar to the adults, but the plumage above almost entirely black, and the breast marked with grey edgings to the feathers, giving a barred appearance, the band across the breast not complete. Hab. South Africa, (Layard), Knysna (Andersson), Great Namaqua Land (Andersson), Transvaal (Ayres), Natal (Ayres), Caftraria (Wahlberg), Lake N’gami (Chapman), Zambesi (Kirk), Galungo, Loanda (Sala), Angola (Monteiro), Gaboon Camma and Ogobai Rivers (Du Chaillu), Cameroons (mus. R. B. S.), Bonny River (Jardine), Fernando Po (Fraser), New Calabar (Fraser), Fantee (Sharpe), Gold Coast (Pel, Sintenis), Sierra Leone (A/fzel.), Bissao (Verreaux), River Gambia (mus, R. B. S.), Senegambia (mus, Hein.), Bogos Country (Heuglin), Red Sea district (Heuglin), Abyssinia (Itiippell), Senaar (Brehm), Kordofan (Petherick), Egypt (Shelley, Taylor), Algeria (Loche), Sicily (Malherbe), Greek Islands (von der Miihle, Lindermayer), Cyclades (Erhard), Asia Minor (mus, J. Gould), Smyrna (Strickland), Sea of Marmora (Demidof’), Palestine (Tristram), Syria (Sperling), Persia (Edwards), Mesopotamia (Jones), all over India, Burmah and Malayana (Jerdon), Siam (Schomburgk), Southern China as far north as Shanghai (Swinhoe), Hainan (Swinhoe). [To Mr. Dresser I am again indebted for allowing me to draw from the MS. of the ‘Birds of Europe” in the preparation of the following article. Any additional information will be gladly received by us for insertion in the above-mentioned work. RK. B §8.] Considerable discussion has arisen amongst Naturalists as to the positive identity of the female of the Pied Kingfisher—whether the single band across the breast is really the distinguishing character of the latter sex, as some male specimens carefully sexed have been found with only one pectoral band. To me, however, the whole matter admits of an easy solution, if attention is given to the progressive stages of plumage between the young and old birds. I have now a very large series of this species before me, and I believe that the very old male has two bands and the old female only one band across the breast. The young males exactly resemble the old female, but as they get older the second black band is gradually assumed, and it is evident that it is a long time before any appearance of the second band is to be seen ; an additional sign of the very old bird is also to be observed in the black spots on the throat just as the grey edgings to the feathers of the breast are a sign of a young one. No difference of any specific value can be found between the Pied Kingfishers of Asia and Africa. Mr. Gould possesses an immense specimen from Smyrna, which, however, scarcely exceeds in length of wing an Indian example, and is, therefore, probably only a very fine bird of the ordinary species. The Pied Kingfisher is said to occur in Spain, but not apparently on any good authority ; Malherbe records it from Sicily, and Loche states that it is only a rare and occasional visitor in Algeria. Lindermayer, in his “‘Vigel Griechenlands,” observes:— ‘‘ In my former work I did not include this Kingfisher, and stated respecting it that it ‘oe we 4 rs > | does not occur either on the mainland of Rumelia nor in the Peloponnesus, but possibly on the islands. This view has been fully confirmed, as Von der Miible only obtained it once on the island of Thermia, and remarks at the same time that he could never find it on the mainland of the Peloponnesus. It was, however, well known to the mariners. JI have once obtained this Kingfisher from the island of Mykove. Erhardt includes it as a summer bird at the Cyclades. I could ascertain nothing about its habits, nidification, or time of emigration.” Demidoff (Voy. Russie Merid. p. 207) says :— _ “This species has not yet been observed on the northern coast of the Black Sea, and is confined to the shores of the Sea of Marmora.” Dr. Tristram, in his paper on the Ornithology of Palestine says, that ‘“ Ceryle rudis is the commonest and most conspicuous species in the country. We first saw it on the sea- shore in winter, when, in the months of November and December, immense numbers resort to the sea-coast. ‘They were particularly abundant about Tyre and Sidon and all the way to Mount Carmel, frequenting the shore, and hovering by dozens over the sea about a hundred yards from land, and occasionally perching with loud cries on an outlying rock. At this time they were very wary, and cost us much trouble to procure. During the most stormy gales of winter they continued, regardless of the weather, to hover over the breakers, ever and anon dashing from into the surf and apparently diving to the bottom for their prey. ‘Their flight and actions reminded us very much of the Kestril. After rising with a somewhat jerking flight, they would poise themselves for several minutes with a gentle quiver of the wing, and then suddenly drop perpendicularly, beak foremost, for a header, or else glide swiftly onwards to take up another aérial post of observation. They are at all times of the year gregarious in small bands; a few breed near the Jordan, in the banks of the Wady Kelt, but the great breeding place which we discovered was on the plain of Gennesaret, in the banks of the Ain Mudawarah. Here there was a colony of about thirty pairs, only a small proportion, however, of the birds of this species which feed on the teeming myriads of fishes in the hallowed lake. They selected a different part of the bank, and built in a different position from Halcyon smyrnensis. Shortly before its entrance into the lake the Mudawarah forms a hollow secluded pool, with steep banks of mud about twenty feet high above the water, which may have a depth of ten or twelve feet. The sides of this little amphitheatre were perforated all around by the holes of the Great Kingfisher, but all of them close to the water edge, about four inches above it. Here on the 28th of April, Mr. Bartlett took two nests of six and four eggs respectively. I revisited the locality on the 21st and 22nd of May, and found great numbers of young birds fledged and able to for themselves, while some nests contained from four to six young; but I still secured five nests with fresh eggs in each. The only way of securing them was to strip and swim to the bank, while an Arab threw down a rope from above which I fastened round my waist while he held the other end; and thus suspended in the pleasant tepid bath, I dug away with the mattock let down to me till the eges were reached. The passages were about three feet and a quarter in length, and the chamber at the end was simply scooped at one end of the passage, not turned at a sharp angle, nor double, like that of the Bee Eater. In one instance I had dug long and laboriously when out dashed a great rat instead of a King- fisher, leaving her six naked young to their fate. In no instance were there any bones with eggs, though, when there were young, there was a festering heap of bones and filth. ere was always an abundantly-heaped nest of grass and weeds. In one nest, which been visited and robbed by Mr. Bartlett, there was a family of three unfledged young; that the bird must have laid again almost immediately in the same digging. ‘The whole ny sat about on the oleanders, or passed and repassed incessantly during my operations, aming and shrieking at the intruder most vociferously. The eggs of this species vary in shape more than those of any other Kingfisher with which I am acquainted. Though generally almost spherical, those of two nests we captured were decidedly elongated; in one case much more so than in the other, and the peculiarity was common to the whole sitting in each case. Some confusion has arisen in the nomenclature of this bird from Swanson, in his “Birds of West Africa” (vol. ii. p. 95), having described the male bird as distinct, under the name of Jspida bicincta. The fact is, that the adult male always has the second narrow bar of black across the chest. Degland, on the contrary, attributes this second belt to the female. I preserved twenty-one specimens, and many were collected by others of the party. In all the sex was carefully noted, and the rule held good of the male having a second band, which was wanting in the female and the young bird. The young, before its first moult, has many of the feathers on the throat and breast, both above and below the band, delicately tipped with a slaty-black crescent-shaped mark. The range of Ceryle rudis is most extensive, from Western Africa and the Cape of Good Hope to the . furthest parts of China and Japan. It is evidently the bird intended by Russell, in his ‘‘ Natural History of Aleppo,” under the name of Alcedo alcyon, var. y, and was first described by Hasselquist.” The Rey. E. M. Young has given us the following notes on,the present species :-— “This bird is very common both in Lower and Upper Egypt, remaining throughout the year and breeding about April 1st. It was curious to see how tenaciously it would keep to a particular perch, generally a dry stick or a telegraph wire if such were at hand. When in search of food it might frequently be seen poised in the air over stagnant pools till it suddenly dropped on some fish, diving completely beneath the surface. The flutter- ing of its wings, as it thus poised itself, was extremely pretty. The note is a shrill twitter, not often heard; the colour of the eggs is white. I often pursued this bird along the river bank as it flew in front of me, continually perching but never allowing me to get. within shot; till at last, seemingly tired of the chase, it would fall an easy prey to the gun.” The following observations are published by Dr. von Heuglin (Orn. N. O. Africas, ». 185) :— a rudis is very common in N. E Africa; we have also met with it on the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean and on the coast of the Red Sea, but it is scarcely a regular inhabitant of the coast. On the other hand it is not wanting in the lagoons of the Delta, on canals where standing water is, on flooded meadows and fields, as also on the true Nile and its tributaries, south-westward to Djur and Kosanga. In Abyssinia it is only found in the warm low countries; on the upper Nile it appeared to me to be rarer than in Nubia and Egypt. Here it is a resident, although in summer and autumn it often bands in families and small companies and leaves its former residence. These pilgrimages may be caused by the rising of the Nile and the discolouring of the stream. It lives in pairs, is sociable, and —except during the breeding-season—more friendly with members of its own species than — other Kingfishers, and often several pairs dwell in the same neighbourhood. It sits and watches along the shore on overhanging branches, on roots, walls, brickets, rocks, and even on the ground, but seldom pounces from the latter on its prey. From time to time it takes a flight over shallow clear water, also right across the river or from one island to another, sometimes very low, generally however several fathoms above the surface. Its flight is not very swift but straight, and steadied by quick fluttering motions of the wing, not rush- ing like that of Alcedo ispida, and it rises and falls according to will and with great agility. One often sees it, after taking a start by several quick flaps of the wings and gliding on for a distance, suddenly with one quick movement alter the direction of the fight and suddenly stop and hover. When hovering the bill is held straight down, and the hind part of the body and tail also rather lowered. Directly it catches sight of its scaly prey it turns up, lays its feathers close to the body, and drops like a stone into the water, remaining often over ten seconds below the surface. It seldom misses its mark, and devours the fish it has captured either on the wing or at one of its resting-places. The voice is a shrill whistle, at the same time chirpey, or at times snickery. During the pairing-time the males often fight on the wing, and roll together, calling loudly, nearly to the surface of the water. In Egpyt the breeding-season is our spring; according to Adams as early as December. The —— nest, consisting of a small heap of clean dry grass, is placed in a horizontal hole about - arm’s depth in a steep bank, and contains four to six pure white roundish eggs, the shell of which is rather rough compared with that of Alcedo ispida. Often several nest-holés Bre Bere together. * * The plumage of the young much resembles that of the adult. There is scarcely any bird on the Nile tamer than the Black-and-White Kinefisher.” For the following note I am indebted to the kindness of my friend Mr. J. J. Monteiro — “T have observed this Kingfisher frequently on all that part of the West Coast of Africa that I am acquainted with, namely, from Loango to Little Fish Bay. They are to be seen in numbers on every river, lake, or marsh, whether salt or fresh. Their usual habit is to keep steadily in the air in one spot, five or six feet above the surface of the water -by a heavy flapping of the wings, with their beak hanging down, and now and then dropping like a stone to capture the small fish upon which they feed; this they fly off with to a twig or branch to swallow, and rise to hover again as before. They are very noisy uttering a loud trilling note or screech. The natives capture quantities of small fish by driving a row of sticks across the shallow rivers and lagoons to support a dam of twigs and rushes, leaving openings at intervals in which are placed baskets or traps to catch the fish as they pass out. These Kingfishers are so abundant that I have often seen them standing one on each stick stretching in a long line across the lagoon, their showy plumage brightly reflected on the still surface of the placid waters, forming a very striking and pretty sight. They are very tame, taking no notice of people passing by quite close to them; are very hard to kill, requiring a good and well-directed charge of shot to bring them down even at a compara- tively short distance.” Mr. Thomas Ayres, speaking of this bird in South-Eastern Africa, states :— ‘Hye black; feeds entirely on fish; frequents the lakes and rivers near the coast ; not found in the interior. This bird hovers over the water before darting down, and if not successful flies on further and hovers again; having caught a fish, it flies to a bough or post to swallow it.” : Dr. Jerdon, in his “Birds of India,” writes as follows :— ** Mr. Strickland separated the Indian bird from C. rudis, stating that it had more _ white on the upper parts; but it is not generally allowed to be distinct. Indeed his C. varia appears to have been founded on a newly-moulted specimen, as contrasted with one having worn and abraded plumage. The Spotted Kingfisher is found over all India, Burmah, and Malayana ; also Western Asia, Africa, and the South of Europe occasionally. It is very common and abundant on the banks of rivers, back waters, and canals ; also on the edges of tanks, and even of pools and ditches by the roadside. Unlike the other Kingfishers, which watch for their prey from a fixed station and then dart down obliquely on it, this one searches for its prey on the wing, every now and then hovering over a piece of water, and, on spying a fish, darting down perpendicularly on it, and rarely failing in its aim. Now and then during its descent it is baulked, and turns off from its swoop ; but I never saw ‘one plunge into the water and turn off from its swoop. 1 cannot say that I have observed it stay so long under water as Pearson would imply when he states that ‘it plunges down _ dead as a stone into the water, and remains below it so long that the ripple over the surface clears away some time before it comes up again.’ Sundevall notices its holding its tail erect when sitting. It makes its nest in holes in the banks of rivers.” Mr. R Swinhoe (Jc.), who met with this Kingfisher in Amoy, says that it is “ very common on the river, where it is to be found at all seasons ; poises on the wing at a height above the water, and drops suddenly down to catch its prey. I have, however, seen it strike obliquely when flying close to the surface of the water.” The description and figure of the adult bird are taken from a fine specimen in my oe from Bengal, that of the young bird from a specimen obtained in West Africa by Heer Sala. wie 2 ee ak | LU eee a> an Se) , = = Soe a a) - = ~~ a e — i ~ CERYLE MAXIMA. (GREAT AFRICAN KINGFISHER.) Alcedo maxima . é Pall. Spic. Zool. fase. IV, p. 14 (1769). Ceryle maxima . P Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (c. 1844). Megaceryle maxima. Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 22, t. eecexix, fig. 3101-2 (1852) Ichthynomus maximus . Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 150 (1860). Ispida gigantea : Swains. Classif. of Birds, IT, p. 336 (1857). Megaceryle gigantea As Reich. Handb, Alced. p. 23, t. eeccix, fig. 3103, t. eecexviii, fig. 3486 (1851). Ceryle gigantea . Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 5. Alcedo guttata . : Bodd. Tabl. des Pl. Enl. p. 42 (1783). Alcedo afra . : : Shaw, Gen. Zool. VIII, p. 55 (1812). Chidolde and Machengwen of the natives of the Zambesi Region (Kirk). C. sexibus dissimilibus: dorso schistaceo-nigro albo maculato: subalaribus et subcaudalibus albis, fasciis nigris variegatis: abdomine medio albo: hypochondriis fasciis schistaceo-nigris irregulariter notatis. Hab. in tot& regione Athiopica. 4 Adult male. Above slaty-black, darker on the head, which is crested; most of the crest _ feathers with good-sized white spots upon both webs, towards the nape some of the feathers in very old birds unspotted; back and scapularies clearer slaty-grey, a few shaft- stripes very _ plainly developed, and all the feathers spotted with white of which spots about five shew, __ two on each side and one on the apex of the feather ; the lower part of the back and upper tail- _coverts slaty-grey largely spotted with white, some of the spots being more longitudinal bars; the lesser wing-coverts slaty-grey with a heart-shaped spot of black in the centre ot the feather; the rest of the wing-coverts black, edged with slaty-grey and conspicuously spotted with white; quills blackish, the inner web white at the base and broadly barred with white, the outer web especially of the secondaries broadly edged with slaty-grey and spotted with white; tail dark slaty-grey, lighter underneath, spotted and banded with white; a small spot in front of the eye, throat and a line of feathers from the base of the — SS ae Additional references.— Alcedo mawima, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 455 (1788), Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 246 (1790). Bon. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. p. 282 (1823), Riipp. Neue Wirb. p. 69 (1826), Less. Traite de Orn. p. 242 (1831). Ceryle maxima, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p, 61 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 160 (1850), Cass. Cat. _ Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 2 (1852), Hartl. Beitr. Orn. Westafr. p. 18 (1852), Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 67 (1854), H artl. Journ. f, Orn. 1854, p. 4, et 1855, p. 360, Mill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 9, Heugl. Sitz. Akad. Wien, 1856, p. 276, Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 37 (1857), Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 243, Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 106, Mont. Ibis, 1862, p. 333, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 3 (1863), Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 325, Hartm, Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 232, Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 333, Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 66 (1867), Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 154, Layard, Ibis, 1869, p. 72, Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, pp. 282, 283, Hartl. and Finsch, Orn. Ostafr. p. 173, _ Hengl. Orn. Nord-Ost. Afr. p. 186 (1869), Ayres, Ibis, 1869, p. 290. Megaceryle maxima, Bonap. Consp. Vol. _ Anis. p. 10(1854). Ispida gigantea, Swains. Birds of W. Afr. II. p. 98, pl. 11 (1837). Ceryle gigantea, Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 38 (1857), Heugl. Journ, f. Orn. 1862, p. 288. lower mandible down the sides of the neck, pure white, the latter varied with longitudinal black marks; cheeks and a line of feathers below the last-mentioned line of white and black feathers, black, the former narrowly, and the latter broadly varied with white ; lower part of the throat and chest rich rufous, the sides varied with slaty-grey; feathers spotted with white; flanks white banded with slaty-grey ; under wing- and tail-coverts white with an occasional black spot; centre of the abdomen and vent pure white, bill black; feet dark olive-brown; irides nearly black. Total length 14.8 inches, of bill from front 3.5, from gape 4.3, wing 8.0, tail 5.3, tarsus 0.4, middle toe 1.0, hind toe 0.3. Adult female. Similar to the male, but instead of the upper part of the chest being rufous, it is replaced by a broad slate-coloured band, each feather being banded with white ; below this is a white band, and the rest of the under-surface of the body with the under wing- and tail-coverts rufous. Total length 16.5 inches, of bill from front 3.5, from gape 4.5, wing 8.0, tail 4.75, tarsus 0.4, middle toe 1.0, hind toe 0.3. Young female. Similar to the adult female, but has the feathers of the band on the breast darker and edged with white, the whole band tinged with rufous. Young male. Similar to the young female, but has the abdomen and under wing- and tail-coverts white. From an examination of several young males I am induced to believe that as the bird advances in age the rufous colouring of the under wing-coverts becomes pure white as in the adult male; then the abdomen loses the rufous colouring, the flanks and under tail-coverts becoming slaty-grey barred and spotted with white, the latter again in very old birds becoming pure white. At the same time the black feathers on the upper part of the breast disappear, being replaced by a rufous band. Hab. Abyssinia, East Senaar (Heuglin), White Nile (Petherick, mus. Wald.), Senegal (mus. Hein.), River Gambia (mus. Brem.), Casamanze ( Verreaur), Bissao ( Verreaux), Ashan- tee (Pel), Fantee (Pel), Congo (mus. Dres., Brit.), Gaboon (Verreaux), St. Thomas (Gujon), River Quanza (Monteiro), Damaraland: River Okavango, River Tioughe (Andersson), Cape Colony (Layard), Knysna (Andersson), Caffraria (Brehm, mus Lugd.), Natal (Ayres), Trans- vaal (Ayres), Zambesi (Kirk). Considerable doubt has existed as to whether the Great African Kingfishers inha- biting the Athiopian Region constitute one or two species. Professor Reichenbach separated them into two under the names of Megaceryle maxima (Pall.) and Megaceryle gigantea (Swains.), and in this conclusion he is followed, but not without considerable hesitation, by Dr. Hartlaub. It should be noted that the learned doctor assigns ‘Congo’ as the habitat of C. maxima on the authority of Pallas, whereas the latter distinctly states that his specimens came from the Cape of Good Hope; the authority for ‘Congo’ is Professor Reichenbach who had specimens in the Dresden Museum from that locality. The differences between C. maxima and C. gigantea are chiefly those of size, and no character can be less trustworthy in the consideration of Kingfishers. Drs. Hartlaub and Finsch, however, in their new work on East African Ornithology unite the two species, and this conclusion is doubtless the correct one. But we are not the less indebted to Mr. Gurney, who by a careful examination of specimens sent from Natal by Mr. Ayres, in 1859, endeavoured to set the matter right, and his observations are entirely correct. I am able to add, as will be seen above, some additional notes on the changes of plumage, and I have to thank Mr. Gurney for very kindly sending for my inspection the specimens examined by him. A brief analysis of the specimens described and figured by the authors to whom reference is made in the present work, may be serviceable to the student. Pallas gave a very good description as far as it went, but he described the male as the female, and vice versd. Buffon figures a young male, while Riippell’s description of the female is really that of a young bird. Swainson figures a very old male, but the plate is wretchedly coloured. I do not attach much importance tothe crest being unspotted, as I dare say that in very old Ceryle maxima it is so, though out of the large series of specimens I have examined, I have never seen one. But the unspotted back of Swainson’s plate would bring the bird at once near Ceryle sharpi, and it is, therefore, well to state that this omission is evidently caused by the carelessness of the colourist, for both in Swainson’s and Hartlaub’s descrip- tions the bird is said to have the back spotted. The absence of bars on the abdomen at once shews that it is not Ceryle sharpii, which is, I believe, a very good species indeed. An examination of the type-specimen proves that it cannot be referred to any stage of plumage of C. maxima, by reason of the intense barring on the abdomen and under wing- and tail- coverts. It is a very old bird, and therefore exhibits characters exactly contrary to C. maxima, which, as it becomes old, quickly loses all bars on these parts, leaving them of a pure white. A comparison of the plates, however, will best exhibit the difference between the two species. ‘To return to our subject, Reichenbach’s figures intended to represent Ceryle maxima (figs. 3101 and 3102) are really nothing but the young male and female, while his figures of the bird he calls C. gigantea (figs 3103 and 3486), the former a copy of Swainson’s plate above referred to, represent old male and female birds. Mr. Gurney’s descriptions are correct, as also are those given by Drs. Hartlaub and Finsch. The following notice of the habits of Cergle maxima has been given me by my friend Mr. J. J. Monteiro, who has contributed so largely to our knowledge of West African Ornithology. ‘This very fine bird I have only seen on the River Quanza (Coanza), generally on the bare or dead branches of trees overhanging the river, sitting upright, with its head at nearly right angles to its body, and the crest at the back prominently exhibited. The flight is heavy and slow.” Mr. Ayres states that in Natal, “‘these birds frequent the rivers and lakes, and are not found far from the coast. ‘They feed entirely on fish, which they dart on from their perch on a bough above. When flying, they make a loud chattering noise, audible at a great distance. They generally roost at night at the same pool and on the same pond for a length ‘of time, wandering away in the day-time and returning at night. I find in some of them intestinal worms (somewhat similar to the wire-worm of England) which eat into their flesh and entrails, but do not seem to injure the health of the bird.” Mr. Layard (/.c.) has published the following note :— ‘This, the largest of our Kingfishers, is not at all uncommon, and is very widely dis- tributed. It is migratory, and I know nothing of its habits. It frequents the ‘‘Salt River” and other small streams in the neighbourhood of Cape Town, perches on trees, and is wary and difficult of approach. Its flight resembles that of the American Belted Kingfisher, and like that species, whilst on the wing, it utters a loud chattering cry. Indeed it so closely resembles Al. alcyon that when I first heard and saw it, I thought an old friend was before me, in a new country; a near approach, however soon dispelled the illusion. Habitat: Cape Colony and Natal extending into Damara Land. Feeds on crabs, me frogs and reptiles; very common at Zoetendals valley and along the river Zonder nd.” In a recent number of the “Ibis” Mr. Layard adds that his friend W. Atmore informs him that he ‘‘once found one of these birds with his bill shattered, evidently against a stone while striking his prey in too shallow water.” Mr. Kirk (i.c.) found the present species in the Zambesi country ‘‘frequent through- out the country on the courses of the rivers, feeding exclusively on fish which he catches when on the wing by dropping suddenly, carrying its prey off in the bill, and swallowing it at its leisure, perched on a tree.” The figures in the plate represent an old male in my own possession collected by Andersson at the Knysna on the 10th of March, 1866, and a female from among Mr. Ayres’ Natal specimens, lent me by Mr. Gurney. The descriptions and measurements are also from the same birds. The young male and female are described from specimens In my own collection from South Africa and the River Gambia. ap [ ee ae — FCO OF ey 5 a ¢ CERYLE SHARPE. &- gaits ba ’ ciomeaianunammiauiaiine fem y LE SHARP TI. (SHARPE’S KINGFISHER. ) Ceryle Sharpii : : : ‘ 5 4 Gould, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1869, p. 271. C. sexibus dissimilibus: dorso schistaceo nigro, immaculato: subalaribus, subcaudalibus et abdomine toto schistaceis, albo transfasciatis. Hab. in prov. Gabonensi Africe occidentalis. Head, cheeks and ear-coverts dark slaty-grey, almost black, on a few feathers of the crest a very tiny white spot; back and scapularies dark slaty-grey unspotted, a few of the latter having a tiny white spot at the tip of the feather; lower part of back slaty-grey with tiny spots of white; wing-coverts dark slaty-grey, the lesser wing-coverts being marked with a heart-shaped spot; tail blackish grey, with small white bars and markings ; primaries blackish, the inner web white at the base, and having a few bands of white along the web, the primaries with a deep black gloss, the secondaries washed externally with slaty-grey and studded with small spots of white; a line of white feathers marked with longitudinal black spots, extends from the base of the lower mandible on to the sides of the neck; below this a line of black feathers from the base of the lower mandible border the throat, which is pure white; upper part of the breast rich chestnut; lower part of the breast, entire abdomen, sides of the body and under wing- and tail-coverts grey, thickly banded with white; bill black; feet olive-brown. ‘Total length 14.5 inches, bill from front 3.0, from gape 4.0, wing 7.3, tail 4.2, tarsus 0.35, middle toe 0.9, hind toe 0.3. Hab. Gaboon (mus. J. Gould). This fine African Kingfisher, with which Mr. Gould has done me the honour to asso- ciate my name, differs from the well known C. maxima, in the darker tone of the plumage, in the total absence of spots on the back, in the colour of the abdomen and under tail- coverts, which are grey, barred with white, and in the under wing-coverts being pro- fusely barred with black, a character never obtained in any stage of plumage of C. mana. The spots also are rounder, and not longitudinal as in C. mazima. ee The type-specimen is evidently a very old bird. I have carefully compared it with equally mature examples of C. mawima and find them to differ as above stated. The accompanying plate gives a faithful representation of the bird, taken, as are the descriptions and measurements, from the type specimen in Mr. Gould’s collection. ; ¥ » ae - AS: ] cf LADS (3 a sey “a ATiBY ° = ae id 1 ia oa J fa nhl te ty er > am [ 7 Tae a age ae Fs Vit tga iG en Pd Lt4 oy Ty ae ‘ OE tlainas ~~ atin ne.) CERYLE TORQUATA. PewY LE TORQUATA. (RINGED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo torquata, : ; : : : : Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 180 (1766). Ceryle torquata, . ; : : : : Bonap. P.Z.S., 1837, p. 108. Megaceryle torquata, ; ; : ; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 24, t. eecexi, fig. 3106 (1851). Strepto ceryle torquata . - : ; ; Bonap. Consp, Vol. Anis, p. 10 (1854). Aleedo cyanea, a elt : F 7 ; Vieill. Nouv. Dict. XX., p. 401 (1818). Alcedo cinerea, 4 ; : : , : Bon. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I. p. 286 (1823). Megaceryle cesia, : : : : ‘ Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 24, t. ececxi, fig. 3107 (1851). Martin-pecheur huppé de Mewique, . t f Buff. Pl. Enl. 284. Martin-pescador celeste, + ; : : ‘ Azara Apunt, 417. _ Martin-pescador celeste obscuro, : ; : Azara, Apunt. 418. C. sexibus dissimilibus: major: dorso claré schistaceo immaculato: abdomine rufo: torque pectorali maris -absente. pa 4 Hab. in regione Neotropica. _ Male. Above slaty-blue, with a narrow black stripe down the centre of the feather, re distinct on the head, which is crested; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web pure e at the base extending for half the length of the feather, the secondaries tipped with 2 and irregularly barred with black on the inner web, the outer web broadly edged with blue, with here and there a few little spots of white; tail blackish, the middle 1ers slaty-blue with only the centre black; the other feathers edged externally with ‘slaty-blue and all more or less spotted and barred with white; throat, sides of, and a r round the neck, pure white; breast deep rich chesnut; under wing-and tail-coverts the lower part of the abdomen white ; bill dark horn-colour ; feet dark greyish-brown. ‘otal length 16.5 inches, of bill from front 3.0, from gape 3.8, wing 7.7, tail 4.5, tarsus , middle toe 0.9, hind toe 0.3. i Ekddstional references.—Alcedo torquata, Less. Tr. d’Orn. p. 242 (1831); Cab. Schomb. Reis. in Guian, II, Pp. 703 (1848); Schl. Mus. Pays. Bas, Alced. p. 4 (1863); Mill. Reis. in Mex. III, p. 563 (1865); Ceryle tor- quata, Gould, Voy. Beagle, Birds, p. 42 (1841); Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 (1848); Hartl. Ind. Azar. p. 26 7); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 61 (1848); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 160 (1850); Cass. Cat. Hale. . Mus. p. 2 (1852); Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 67 (1854); Pelz. Sitz. Akad. Wien. 1856, p.514 ; Sclater, P.Z.S. » p. 189, id. 1859, p. 202; Sel. and Salvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 131; Moore, P.Z.S. 1859, p. 53; Cass. Proce. Phil. d. 1860, p. 133; Scl. P.Z.S. 1860, p. 284, Scl. and Salv. 1866, p. 191; Leot. Ois. de Trinid. p. 106 (1866) ; Sel. and Salv. P.Z.S., 1867, pp. 280, 581, 978, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 23 (1868): Gray, Handl. of B. p. 97 (1369): Alcedo cyanea, Bon. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 395 (1823); Wied, Beitr. Naturg. Bras. IV, p. 5 (1832): Megaceryle cesia, Burm. Th. Bras. II, p. 405, note (1856); Megaceryle torquata, Burm. Th. Bras, II, p. 404 (1856); et Reise La Plata, II, p. 446 (1861); Streptoceryle torqguata, Cab, and Heine, Mus. Hein. I, p. 150 (1860); Cab. Journ. f. Orn. 1862, p. 162. i Female. Similar to the male, but with a broad slaty-blue band across the breast, with a narrow white band below it; and the whole of the abdomen and under wing-and tail- coverts rich chesnut. Young Female. Very similar to the old female, but the bill very much shorter, the stripes on the head very broad and dark, so that little of the grey edgings are seen, the forehead especially being nearly black; wing-coverts more narrowly edged with grey than in the old bird, so that the black bases of the feathers are more conspicuous, the whole of these coverts being also tinged with rusty brown; under wing-coverts, whitish tinged with rufous, and some of the lower ones barred with slaty grey; rest of the under surface as in the old female, excepting the breast-band, which is dull grey tinged with reddish, the shaft of each feather appearing very plainly. Young male. Similar to the young female, but has the whole of the external edge of the wing-coverts and quills profusely spotted with good-size spots of white ; under wing- coverts as in the young female, as also the breast-band which, however, is more distinctly tinged with rufous in the centre, remaining grey on each side. Central America: Mexico (le Strange), Jalapa (Salle), Guatemala, Lake Peten (Leyland), tanquin ( Salvin ), British Honduras, Belize River (Salvin), Honduras, Omoa (Leyland ), Mosquitia (Wickham). Costa Rica (Carmiol): Veragua, Panama (McLeannan), Chepo (Arcé), Rivers Atrato and Truando (Michler). New Granada (Mus. R.B.S). Ecuador, Babahoyo (Fraser). Trinidad (Leotaud). Guiana: surinam (C. Bartlett), pritisn Guiana (Schomburgk), French Guiana (Rothery, mus. Cantabr.), cayenne (Mus. RBS). Amazonia, Mexiana and Tocantins ( Wallace), Barra do R. Negro, Borba (Natterer), Pebas (Hauxwell), Lower Ucayali and Huallaga (HZ. Bartlett). Brazil: Maranham (Wendeborn, Mus. Salv. and Godm.), Bahia ( Wucherer), Sapitiba, Marambaya, Island of Tacurgar, Ypanema, Curytiba, Rio do Baraxudo, Paranagua, Irisanga (Natterer), Novo Fribourgo, Congonhas (Durmeister). Parana (Burmeister). I am indebted to Mr. Osbert Salvin for the loan of a beautiful series of specimens from his collection, which with those kindly lent me by Dr. Sclater and the fine series in my own collection, has placed at my disposal an amount of material seldom at the command of a Monographist. I have, therefore, been enabled to give a detailed account of the plumage of both sexes at different ages, and I further find that the age of the bird can pretty correctly be determined by an examination of the under tail-coverts. The old female has the under wing and tail-coverts rich chesnut like the body, and the young female only differs in having the under wing-coverts white tinged with rufous. The young male resembles the old female, and as the bird advances in age, the band on the breast disappears by being interrupted in the centre, and the under wing-coverts become white, while the feathers on the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts also become white, the rufous tinge gradually disappearing, and, finally, the white under tail-coverts become barred with slaty- blue. This last character indicates a very old bird, and it is seldom that one is seen with the bars fully developed all over the tail-coverts. : Mr. Osbert Salvin has very kindly supplied me with the following observations on the present bird, as observed by him in Guatemala:— ‘* Ceryle torquata cannot be called a common species in Guatemala, as its range seems strictly confined to the streams of the warmer portions of northern Vera Paz, Peten, and the adjoining county of British Honduras. No part of the former department is so thoroughly ransacked for birds as the forests surrounding the Indian village of Choctum, but I never recollect having seen a skin amongst the thousands I have examined from that part. It was, however, in this neighbourhood that I first heard of the bird, recognizing the description given me of a great ‘ Martin Pescador’ that had been seen near Choctum as applicable to this species. On the 14th of March, 1862, when travelling to Peten, I obtained my first specimen whilst staying for a day at the village of Lanquin. This village is situated about 1,200 feet above the sea level. During my journey down the Belize River, after leaving Peten, I saw a number of this Kingfisher every day. Their favorite station, when watching for fish or resting, is an old snag or branch of a tree half submerged in the water. From this, as our canoe approached, they would rise, and take a flight of two or three hundred yards down the river, and then alight again. As we passed down three or four birds would thus fly before us, till they, not liking to be driven further from their accustomed haunts, would suddenly turn and dart past us at full speed. The _ steep clay banks of the river were pierced in many places with the holes in which their nests are placed.” “The range of Ceryle torquata in Central America is extensive. The collection brouvht by Mr. Le Strange from Mexico contains three examples. Southward of Guatemala specimens have been collected by Carmiol in Costa Rica, and I have seen a specimen from the Mosquito territory. McLeannan has forwarded specimens from Panama and Arcé others from Chepo, on the River Bayano.” The following interesting note has been kindly forwarded by Mr. Edward Bartlett:— “The Ceryle torquata is the commonest of all Kingfishers on the Amazons and its tributaries, and is seen in colonies about the steep clay banks. I found this bird wherever I went, at the mouth of the Amazons, and also at the highest points reached by me on the Maranon, Ucayali, and Huallaga Rivers. It breeds in company with C. amazonia. The nest, however, is placed very much deeper in the bank than in the case of the last-named bird, the hole being from four to six feet in depth, with a chamber at the end sufficiently _ large for the young when nearly full grown. The eggs are pure white, four in number.” In the collection formed by Lieut. Michler during the survey of the Isthmus of Darien, Mr. Cassin informs us, were “numerous specimens, exclusively adults in fine plumage,” and Mr. C. J. Wood, who accompanied the expedition, remarks that this Kingfisher was _ “very abundant in the immense swamps on the Atrato and Truando, alighting on the low trees and uttering aloud shrill note. It catches small fishes, apparently very easily on ~ account of their abundance, and returns to the tree.” Prince Maximilian gives the following details respecting the present species :—- “We found these birds most abundant on the shores of. the beautiful and interesting Parahyba, where we found a considerable number within a small area, and procured them without difficulty; on other rivers, however, we did not see the bird, and therefore we often killed none for a long time. They are large handsome birds, and have the habits ‘of our German Kingfisher. They sit on boughs over the water and move the tail, also sometimes raising the feathers of the crown. Their food consists of fishes, the remains of which are found in their stomachs; they dive quickly after these. I have never found lizards in their stomachs, but it is possible so powerful and greedy a bird catches these at times. I have only found the nest once. It was over 1,000 paces from the shore of the _ Rio da Aldea Belha, in a high clay side of a mountain, whither we saw the birds fly high and swiftly with fish in their bills. As I saw them creep in the ground, the place was climbed to, and I found a deep circular hole in the clay soil in which we put reeds, and soon felt the young birds biting at them and we could draw them out to some distance, but ‘still not quite to the entrance. The Brazilians tell me that this species lays two white egos, They generally nest like our European Kingfisher, and other allied species in a smooth round hole five or six feet deep, in the bank directly over the water. The young are very vora- cious, and therefore immediately fastened on to our rods with greedy cries.” ____ The figures in the plate are from specimens in my own collection, the female from Ca yenne, the male from Bahia. It will be observed that the under tail-coverts being white “indicate a moderately old bird, the tinge of rufous being the last remains of the young plumage. The description and measurements are also from specimens in my collection, that of the old female being the Cayenne specimen figured in the plate, while that of the adult male is taken from a fine skin from Bahia. a “ite * 4 oP ee aay i "hg vee de; apa CERYLE STELLATA. (CHILIAN KINGFISHER.) Aleedo stellata . , : : F Meyen, Obs. Zool. p. 93, t. xiv (1834). Ceryle stellata . ; : : , Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 67 (1854). Megaceryle stellata. : 3 : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 24, t. eccexviii, fig. 3487 (1851). Streptoceryle stellata . : 2 : Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 151 (1860). Chloroceryle stellata . ‘ : Scl. Cat. Am. Birds, p. 264 (1862). Aleedo torquata. ~ . ; : F Tsch. Consp. p. 39. Ceryle torquata . é - ‘ - Fras. P. Z. 8. 1843, p. 110. C. sexibus dissimilibus: minor: dorso claré schistaceo, albo stellato: abdomine rufo: torque pectorali is absente. Hab. in parte meridionali regionis Neotropice. Above slaty-blue, the feathers of the crest marked longitudinally with broad black shaft-stripes ; back also marked with dark stripes and profusely spotted with white ; quills tail black, externally margined with slaty-blue and banded with white ; throat and es of the neck extending backwarks and forming a nuchal collar, white ; upper part of the east slaty-blue, with rufous markings on some of the feathers ; below this slaty band a w one of white ; rest of the under surface of the body rufous, with a few grey and ite barrings on the flanks and under tail-coverts ; bill and feet blackish. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 2°15, from gape 3:2, wing 7°3, tail 4°3, tarsus 0°4, middle toe 0-9, hind toe 0°25. _ Hab. Chili (Meyen, Gay), Port Otway and Port Galant, Straits of Magellan (Cun- _ Ihave thought it best not to give a figure of this species, as at present I am by no means certain that it has claims to distinct specific rank. Some of the differences adduced sy Meyen, the original describer, depend on the relative age of the bird, and the only charac- of importance are the spotted back and shorter bill. I have seen several specimens of Ceryle stellata, but as yet have not had the good fortune to meet with an adult male, but all the birds examined have certainly had spotted backs and smaller bills than C. torquata. refore keep the two species distinct on the supposition that future observation will firm the constancy of these characters. Additional references.—Alcedo stellata, Tsch. Faun. Peruan. p. 254 (1844); Burm. th. Bras. TH, p. 405, 1856). Ceryle stellata, Pelz. Voy. Nov. Vog. p. 50 (1865) ; Sclater, P. Z. 8. 1867, pp. 827, 338; Scl. & Ibis, 1868, p. 187, id. 1869, p. 283 ; Gray, Hand-list of B. p. 97 (1869). Alcedo torquata, Bridges, P. Z.5. i 84 , p. 84; Gay, Faun. Chil. p. 270 (1847). Gay in the ‘‘Fauna Chilena” gives the following details:— “This bird is tolerably common in Chili, frequents rivers and is constantly to be seen perched upon bare branches, especially the most projecting ones, waiting immoveable and with the greatest patience for fishes to pass, when he darts upon them like a flash. He swallows his fish whole on leaving the water, but if it is too big he stops on a neighbour- ing tree to tear it to bits and devour it piecemeal. Being of a sad and melancholy nature it is always found alone, and when it flies utters a long repeated cry Keti Keti; and this is the name which the Araucanos and the country people give it. The female makes her nest in holes of banks and lays three white eggs.” The description is taken from a female specimen in Dr. Sclater’s collection from Chili. Mr. Salvin has one in his collection which has not nearly so many white spots on the back as in Dr. Sclater’s specimen, oe ; ae ee S) LAL ica f iv CERYLE ALCYON ¢ & F. CHRYLE ALCYON, (BELTED KINGFISHER). Alcedo alcyon ; - Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 180 (1766). Ceryle .; : : Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316. Streptoceryle ,, : : Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 151 (1860). Megaceryle ,, ; : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 25, t. cecexii, fig. 3108—9 (1851). Chloroceryle ,, ; ; Sclater, Cat. Am. Birds, p. 264 (1862), Ispida A) : Swains. Class. of Birds, IT. p. 336 (1837). rt ludoviciana, . Gm. Syst. Nat. I. p. 452, var. g, and , (1788). Alcedo guacu, : 5 Vieill. Nouv. Dict. xix. p. 406 (Cassin). 9 jaguacati. : : Dumont, Dict. Sci. Nat. I. p. 455 (Cassin). Megaceryle domingensis . Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 25, t. eccex, fig. 3105 (1851). Martin-pecheur de la Louisianne, Buff. Pl. Enl. 715. Martin-pecheur huppé de St. Domingue, Buff, Pl. Enl. 593. 3 __C. supra schistacea: subtus alba, torque pectorali schistaceaé: hypochondriis schistaceo mixtis. Fem. que altera inferiori rufa, et hypochondriis rufis distinguenda. tig Hab. in tota regione Nearctica et in tota Americé Centrali. aq Above slaty-blue, the head crested, each feather having a black line down the centre; spot in front of the eye, and a collar round the back of the neck, white; wing-coverts otted with white; wing-feathers black, tipped with white, the basal half of the inner web e primaries white, the outer web being marked with the same colour, the inner web of e secundaries marked with white, as also the outer web which is broadly edged with y-blue; tail slaty-blue, irregularly banded and spotted with white; the entire under ‘face white, with the exception of a broad band of slaty-blue on the upper part of the st, and the flanks, which are marked with slaty-blue; beak black; feet dark blue-grey ; _dark brown. ‘Total length 12 inches, of bill from front 2, from gape 2.5, wing tail 3.2, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.2. vim). Honduras, Omoa (Leyland), Costa Rica (Hoffman), Veragua, Panama (McLeannan). Iles, Santa Cruz (Newton), St. Domingo (Sallé, Bryant), Jamaica (Osburn, Grosse), Additional References.— Alcedo aleyon, Lath, Ind. Orn. I. p. 257 (1790); Wils. Am. Orn. III. p. 59, pl. g. 1 (1811) ; Bon. and Vieill. Encl. Meth. I. p. 283 (1823); Swains. and Rich. Faun. Bor. Am. II, p. 339 ; Aud. Orn. Biogr. I. p. 394 (1831); Thomp. Birds of Irel. I. p. 373 (1849) ; Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. 4 (1863); Ceryle alcyon, Gray, Gen. of Birds. I. p. 82 (c. 1844); Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 62 (1848); map. Cons. Gen. Av. I. p. 160 (1850); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 2 (1852); id. Birds Cal. and Texas, p | (1856) ; Baird, Cass. and Lawr. Birds of N. Am. p. 158 (1860) ; Sam. Orn, New Engl. p. 125 (1867). Strep- yle alcyon, Bonap. Cons. Vol. Anis, p. 10 (1854). -_). The present species may be considered the type of the large slate-coloured group of the genus Ceryle, which has been separated by some authors as a distinct genus under the title of Streptoceryle. It is a native of North America. extending southwards as far as the Isthmus of Panama, from which place it has been sent by Mc’Leannan. In the northern states it is migratory, departing southwards on the approach of winter, and is stated by Professor Baird in his valuable article on the ‘‘ Migrations of American Birds,” to be a regular visitor to the Bermudas from September to April. With regard to the extent of its range northward I quote the following remarks of Captain Blakiston.* ‘« Besides the specimen from the Rocky Mountains already noted (‘Ibis’ vol. iv. p. 3.) I obtained a second from my friend Mr. J. C. Clare, at York Factory, on Hudson’s Bay; there are others also in the Smithsonian Institution, from between that place and Lake Winipeg, and also from Red River Settlement. Dr. Richardson, and Mr. Bernard Ross have noted the Belted Kingfisher up to 67° N. Lat., and I have observed the bird the whole distance across the interior, from Hudson’s Bay to the Western base of the Rocky Mountains. It remained, in 1857, on the lower part of the Saskatchawan River till the 7th of October; and I observed it in 1859 at Pembina, where the 49th parallel crosses the Red River of the north, on the first of May.” ‘* Dr. E. Coues® says:—‘‘I ascertained the existence of this bird in Labrador from a single skin in the possession of the natives. ‘They considered it a rare bird.” Mr. Dresser in his paper on the ‘ Birds of Southern Texas,”* observes—‘‘ It is common + in the Rio Grande and throughout Texas, where it remains to breed.” Mr. Salvin observed the Belted Kingfisher at Belize, and again on the Golfo Dolce, and he informs me that it is tolerably common in the winter on the Atlantic Coast and throughout the whole country of Guatemala. Mr. G. C. Taylor also remarks,‘ that ‘‘ it was seen on several occasions” in Honduras. The present species was also observed by Messrs. A. and E. Newton in St. Croix,°® and is said by them to be apparently a winter visitant, leaving the island late in April. It chiefly frequents the Mangrove swamps and the mouths of the small streams; but some- times fishes half a mile out at sea. Its loud call has been well likened to the noise made by springing a watchman’s rattle. : Its food does not always seem to consist of fish, as Mr. A. Newton continues, ‘‘ the stomach of one | skinned contained shells of crabs.” Mr. E. Newton further remarks, ‘‘ I saw what I believe to have been a bird of this species on my passage home in October 1858, in lat. 26° 17/ N., long. 57° 28/ W. It flew round the steamer several times within gunshot; and I could clearly make out the dark belt across its breast.” Dr. Bryant‘ records it from St. Domingo and observes, ‘‘ Reichenbach has described this bird from St. Domingo as a species, as he did many other birds, without ever seeing them, in the hope that some one would discover that a difference existed, and he would get the credit of it. In the present case he was unfortunate.” Professor Reichenbach, it should be added, confesses that he is unaware of the exact locality of the bird he calls domingensis, and to judge from his plate, it looks like a made up specimen from C. torquata and C. maxima (from Africa), to which last species Professor Schlegel (/. c.) seems inclined to refer it; but naturally hesitates to put the name of domingensis as a synonym of an African species. Two specimens of the Belted Kingfisher were obtained in Ireland in 1845, one at Annsbrook, and the other at Luggela, Wicklow. This is the only instance of its occurrence in Europe, but after reading Andubon’s note recorded below concerning the power of flight of this species, we ought not to be surprised at its appearance in this part of the world. Moreover, the time of the year (Oct. 26) on which the first specimen was shot would seem to suggest that the birds, in making one of their long a. Ibis. 1863, p. 67. b. Proc. Phil. acad. 1861, p. 217. e. Ibis. 1865, p. 471. d. Ibis. 1860, p. 116. e. Ibis. 1859, p. 67. f. Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1866, p. 95. flights at the period of migration were forced out of their course by an adverse wind, and thus unwittingly driven to cross the Atlantic. , From Wilson’s well-known work, I have extracted the following remarks, somewhat lengthy, perhaps, but of great interest, as being the first original observations on the habits of this species. ‘Amidst the roar of the cataract, or over the foam of a torrent, he sits perched upon an overhanging bough, glancing his piercing eye in every direction below for his ready prey, which with a certain circular plunge he sweeps from their native element and swallows in an instant. His voice which is not unlike the twirling of a watchman’s rattle, is naturally loud, harsh and sudden; but is softened by the sound of the brawling streams and cascades among which he generally rambles. He courses along the windings of a brook or river, at a small height above the surface, sometimes suspending himself by the rapid action of his wings like certain species of hawks, ready to pounce on the prey below; now and then settling on an old dead limb to reconnoitre. Mill-dams are particu- larly visited by this feathered fisher; and the sound of his pipe is as well known to the miller as the rattling of his own hopper. Rapid streams with high perpendicular banks, particularly if they be of a hard clayey or sandy nature, are also favorite places of resort for this bird; not only because in such places the small fish are more exposed to view; but because those steep and dry banks are the chosen situations for his nest. Into these he digs with bill and claws, horizontally, sometimes to the extent of four and five feet, at the distance of a foot or two from the surface. The few materials he takes in are not always placed at the extremity of the hole; that he and his mate may have room to turn with convenience. The eggs are five, pure white, and the first brood usually comes out about the beginning of June, or sometimes sooner, according to that part of the country where they reside. On the shores of Kentucky river near the town of Frankfort, I found the female sitting early in March. They are very tenacious of their haunts, breeding for several successive years in the same hole, and do not readily forsake it, even though it be visited.” “Though the Kingfisher generally remains with us, in Pennsylvania, until the commencement of cold weather, it is seldom seen here in winter; but returns to us early in April. In North and South Carolina, I observed numbers of these birds in the months of February and March. I also frequently noticed them on the shores of the Ohio, in February, as high up as the mouth of the Muskingum.” Audubon’s notes from his ‘ Ornithological Biography,’ are very copious, and I have therefore only made use of such portions as will serve to give a fuller insight into the habits of the species. He says :— “The flight of this bird is rapid, and is prolonged according to its necessities, extending at times to considerable distances, in which case it is performed high in the air. When, for instance, the whole course of one of our Northern Rivers becomes frozen, the Kingfisher, instead of skimming closely over the surface that no longer allows it to supply itself with food, passes high over the tallest trees, and takes advantage of every short cut which the situation of the river affords. By this means it soon reaches a milder climate. This is also frequently the case, when it seems tired of the kind of fish that occurs in a lake, and removes to another in a direct line, passing over the forests, not unfrequently by a course of twenty or thirty miles towards the interior of the country. Its motions when on wing consist of a series of flaps, about five or six in number, followed by a direct glide, without any apparent undulation. It moves in the same way when flying closely over the water.” *‘Tf in the course of such excursions, the bird passes over a small pool, it suddenly checks itself in its career, poises itself in the air, like a Sparrow-hawk or Kestril, and inspects the water beneath, to discover whether there may be fishes in it suitable to its taste. Should it find this to be the case, it continues poised for a few seconds, dashes spirally headlong into the water, seizes a fish, and alights on the nearest tree or stump, where it swallows its prey in a moment.” Speaking of the holes in which the Belted Kingfisher breeds, the same author says :— ‘‘T have laid open to my view several of these holes, in different situations and soils, and have generally found them to be formed as follows. The male and female, after having fixed upon a proper spot, are seen clinging to the banks of the stream in the manner of Woodpeckers. ‘Their stout bills are set to work, and as soon as the hole has acquired a certain depth, one of the birds enters it, and scratches out the sand, earth or clay, with its feet, striking meanwhile with its bill to extend the depth. The other bird all the while appears to cheer the labourer, and urge it to continue its exertions ; and when the latter is fatigued takes its place. Thus by the co-operation of both, the hole is dug to the depth of four, five, or sometimes six feet, in a horizontal direction, at times not more than eighteen inches below the surface of the ground, at others eight or ten feet. * * * * Incubation continues for sixteen days. In the Middle States, these birds seldom raise more than one brood a year, but in the Southern usually two. Incubation is performed by both parents, which evince great solicitude for the safety of the young. The mother sometimes drops on the water, as if severely wounded, and flutters and flounders as if unable to rise from the stream, in order to induce the intruder to wade or swim after, whilst her mate, perched on the nearest bough, or even on the edge of the bank, jerks his tail, erects his crest, ratties his notes with angry vehemence, and then springing off, passes and repasses before the enemy, with a continued cry of despair.” a I have not been able to ascertain whether or not the young are fed with macerated food disgorged by the parents into their bills, but I have reason to think so, and I have always observed the old ones to swallow the fishes which they had caught, before they entered the hole. The young are, however, afterwards fed directly on the entire fish; and I have frequently seen them follow the parent birds, and alight on the same branch, flapping their wings, and calling with open bill for the food just taken out of the water, when the petition was seldom denied.” From Mr. Samuel’s work, the latest published on American Ornithology, I have taken the following note (/. ¢.) :— ‘* When perched on a limb overhanging the water, he frequently jets his tail in the manner of the Peewee, and often descends from such a perch and seizes a {frog or a fish, and I once shot one that had just seized a meadow mouse (arvicola) in this manner. The young usually remain in the hole in the bank until they are about fledged. I am inclined to think, that usually they return to these holes at night and in stormy weather, as I have frequently seen them about their nests long after they were fledged, and have even seen them passing into them at the close of the day. In migrating, the young leave their parents, and these even separate, and pursue their journey alone; and it is a case of rare occurrence that two are seen together after the latter part of August.” There seems to be some little confusion as to the identity of the female of the present species, and curiously enough I have not been able to meet with a sexed specimen in this country; but the figure of the female in the plate has been taken from a bird properly named and sexed, in the Leiden Museum (No. 7 of Schlegel’s Cat.). From this it would appear that the female is distinguished by red flanks and by a second band of rufous below the ordinary ‘belt.’ This agrees with the descriptions of Wilson and Audubon, but the authors of the ‘Birds of North America’ (and after them Mr. Samuels, who seems simply to have copied their remarks) consider this rufous colouring to be the sign of young birds only. I find considerable differences in the measurements of old and young birds, and it seems also from observations in the above-mentioned work that differences also exist in specimens from different localities, those from the Pacific Coast ‘being appreciably larger than Eastern ones.’ I should be glad to receive any notes or specimens from any friends who have the opportunity of personal observation. My measurements and description are taken from an old male shot near Albany, New York, U.S.A., in my own collection. | _ = » . ‘ . , ~ ‘ ¢ d . a 4 4 a CERYLE AMAZONIA. (AMAZON GREEN KINGFISHER.) Alcedo amazona, , ‘ : ; ‘ Lath, Ind. Orn. I, p. 257 (1790). Ceryle amazona, . : 5 : ; Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 313. Chloroceryle amazona, , { ; 7; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 28, t. eccexii, fig. 3110-3111 (1851). Chloroceryle amazonia, ; : : : Cab, and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 148 (1860). Ceryle amazonia, 3 ? ; : 3 Sel. and Salv. P.Z.S. 1864, p. 363. Ceryle amazone, 5 < ; . ; Léot. Ois. de Trinid. p. 111, (1866). Alcedo vestita, . 5 : : < : Dum. Dict. Sci. Nat. xxix, p. 472. Alcedo rubescens, : ? : ; f Vieill. Nouy. Dict. d’ Hist. Nat. xix, p. 408 (1818). Chloroceryle leucosticta, . ; : F Reich. Handb, Alced. p. 29, t. eecexiv, fig. 3116-17 (1851). Martin-pescador obscuro dorada, ; : Azara, Apunt, No. 419. Martin-pescador garganta roxa, ? ; Azara, Apunt, No. 420. C. sexibus dissimilibus: dorso ceneo-viridi: gula alba: major: alis extus immaculatis. Hab. in Regione Neotropica. Male. Bronzy-green above; head crested; a large band of feathers commencing from the base of the bill, and encircling the neck, white; quills blackish, edged externally with bronzy-green, the inner web white at the base and waved with bronzy-green markings on Additional References.—Alcedo amazona, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. xix, p. 339 (1818), Bon. et Vieill. Encl. Meth. I, p. 292 (1823), Wied. Beitg. Naturg. Bras. IV, p. 12. (1832), Tsch. Faun. Peruan. p, 254 (1844), Hartl. Ind. Azar? p. 26 (1847), Cab. Schomb. Reis. in Guian. II. p. 704 (1848), Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 5 (1863). Ceryle amazona Gray Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (c. 1844), Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 62 ey Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 160 (1850), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 3 (1852), Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 7 (1854), Sclater, P.Z.S. 1855, p. 136, Pelz. Sitz. Akad. Wien, 1856, p. 515, Moore, P.Z.S. 1859, p. 53, Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1860, p. 133, Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 195, Miiller, Reis. in Mex. III, p. 563 (1865), Saly. P.Z.S. 1867, p. 152, Scl. and Salv. P.Z,S. 1867, p. 978, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 23 (1868). Choloceryle amazona, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854), Burm. Th. Bras. I, p. 405 (1856), id. La Plata Reise, I, p. 446 (1861), Sclater, Cat. Am. Birds, p. 265 (1862) Ceryle amazonia, Scl. and Salv. P.Z.S. 1866, p. 192, id. P.Z.S, 1867, pp. 279, 581. Alcedo vestita, Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 242 (1831), Puch. Rev. de Zool. 1853, p. 386, Hartl. Journ, f. Orn. 1855, p. 423. Alcedo rubescens, Bon. et Vieill. Encl. Meth. I, p. 392 (1823). Oholoceryle leucosticta, Burm. Th. Bras, II p. 406, note (1856). the secondaries ; tail-feathers bronzy-green above, blackish beneath, the inner web ofall but the middle ones, spotted with white; a line of feathers from the base of the bill extending on to the sides of the neck, bronzy-green; throat white; a broad band across the chest bright rufous; abdomen and under wing- and tail-coverts white, the flanks streaked with bronzy-green; bill and feet black; eye nearly black. Total length 12 inches, of bill from front 2.5, from gape 3.5, wing 5.0, tail 3.0, tarsus 0,25, middle toe 0.6, hind toe 0.3. Female. Similar to the male, but wanting the red chest-band, which is supplied by an interrupted band of bronzy-green. Hab. Central America: Mexico, (Mus. Philad.), Honduras, Omoa (Leyland), Guatemala, Vera Paz, Rio Samala, San Geronimo (Salvin), Mosquitia (Wickham), Veragua, Panama (Mc’ Leannan), santiago (Salvin), R.Nercua (Michler). Guiana: British Guiana (Schomburgk), Surinam (Mus. Philad.) Cayenne (Mus. P. L. Sclater), New Grenada, Bogota (Mus. P. L. Sclater). Trinidad (Leotaud). Amazonia: Para, R. Tocantins ( Wallace), Pebas (Hauxwell), Lower Ucayali River (EZ. Bartlett). Brazil (Maz.). Sapitiba, Marambaya, Matto-dentro, Ypanema, Paranagua, Ytararé, Irisanga,Goiaz (Vaiterer), Novo Fribourgo (Mus. O. Salvin), Parané, (Burmeister). La Plata: Tucuman (Burmeister). Peru (Tschudi). This is the largest of the white-bellied section of the American green-backed Kingfishers and is a beautiful species. It is a very common bird in South America, being particularly abundant in Brazil, where it was observed by Prince Maximilian, who published the follow- ing note on its habits :— ‘* This handsome Kingfisher was observed in most parts of the province visited by me, being, however, nowhere so plentiful as in the southern portion, at Cabo Frio, Marica, Sagoarema, and the lakes of Araruama, Ponta Negra, Lagoa Feia, &c., especially in those parts of the country where there are lakes in which water-plants grow. Here it sits on an isolated branch above the water, often in the thick shade of overhanging bushes and trees, and watches for its prey. It often moves its tail up and down when perching, and then afterwards plunges into the water. Its nest is found in the hole of a bank. It flies quickly, and close to the ground, and is rather shy. In general character and external form it exhibits considerable analogy with Ceryle americana, which seems to be its smaller prototype. In both these species the note is the same, and the size is the only difference.” I am indebted to Mr. Edward Bartlett for the accompanying notice of the habits of the present species as observed by him during his recent expedition to the Peruvian Amazons. ‘* Ceryle amazonia is found throughout the whole of the Amazon Region, breeding in considerable numbers on the steep banks of the rivers. This species is generally observed in the company of Ceryle torquata and on the approach of any intruder they fly up in num- bers and keep up a loud and disagreeable chorus. The nest is generally placed in an extremely deep hole in a flat-faced bank, whence it is very difficult to obtain the eggs, which are four in number, of a pure white colour. The nest 1s composed of fish-bones and a few sticks, and the young remain in the nest until they are able to fly and provide for them- selves. Legs and feet black; irides nearly black with a slight tinge of grey-brown.” In Trinidad, according to Leotaud, it is seldom seen, for he states that:—‘ This Kingfisher, very rare here, frequents the rivers at a distance from the salt waters.” ——oorr In the accompanying plate the figures are drawn from a fine pair of birds in my own ction, the male being from Brazil, the female from Guatemala. The description he male is taken from a specimen recently brought home by Mr. Edward Bartlett, anta Cruz, on the Huallaga River, while that of the female is from an adult bird, . P. L. Sclater’s collection, from Panama. ‘The young male exactly resembles the t female. Young birds have the wings externally spotted with white, and it is evident eichenbach’s C. leucosticta is founded on an immature specimen. hi rms PAE ' é Aut re ‘ eS Oe i fe a » wail dvs erie ‘ie et ain : “a¥ ue fe CO ee ‘ij et Weahegs ; sets, a PO 43 ar. » CERYLE CABANISI, ¢ & . CERYLE CABANISI, (CABANIS’ GREEN KINGFISHER.) Aleedo Cabanisii, ; ; : Tsch. Faun. Peruan. p. 253 (1846). Ceryle * ; : : Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (ec. 1844). Chloroceryle Cabanisii, . , : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 27 (1851). Alcedo Cabanisii,. : : . Schl. Mus. Pays Bas. Alced. p. 5 (1863). a 7: C. sexibus dissimilibus: dorso xeneo-viridi: gula albi: media: rostro robustiori: maculis alaribus distine- - tior us. Hab. in parte septentrionali-occidentali regionis Neotropice et in parte meridionali onis Nearctice. Above shining bronzy-green; forehead fuscous; wing-feathers brownish, white from base, the exterior web edged with dull green, both webs conspicuously spotted with , more especially on the secundaries; tail-feathers white at the base, as also one or two spots towards the apex, the two middle feathers entirely green; throat, cheeks, and a >round the neck, pure white; lower part of the throat and upper part of the breast » rufous; a line extending from the chin down the sides of the neck green; flanks e, plentifully washed with green; abdomen white; bill black; feet red; eyes hazel. | length 8.5 inches, of bill from front 1.6, from gape 2, wing 3.4, tail 3, tarsus 0.3, dle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.3. The female has a green band across the chest instead of the rufous colouring of ale. rica : Mexico, Jalapa (De Oca), Vera Cruz, Orizaba (Botter?), Cordova (Sallé ), Guatemala, Old River, veyland ye Duefias, San Geronimo (Salvin), Honduras, Lake of Yojoa (T aylor » Costa Rica, San José, San ) (Carmiol), Catargo (J. : Cooper), Veragua, Panama (McLeannan), Chépo, Calovevora (Arcé ), David ages). Western South America: Ecuador, Babahoyo, Esmeraldas (/*raser), Peru, Tambo Valley ). is difficult to say whether the present bird should be regarded as a distinct species apt a larger race of the well-known C. americana. The characteristics separating | the last-named species are its larger-size, stouter bill, and the greater developement Additional References :—Ceryle Cabanisi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 160 (1850), Salvin, P.Z.S. 1867, p. 152, and Saly. P.Z.S. 1867, p. 280. Chloroceryle Cabanisi, Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 148 (1860), t. Am. Birds, p. 265 (1862). Ceryle americana, Sitgr. Rep. Exp. Zuni and Col. Rivers, p. 65 (1852), Birds of Cal. p. 255 (1856), Baird, Cat. Am. Birds, p. 159, pl. vii (1860), Sclater, P.Z.8. 1856, pp. id. P.Z.S. 1858, p. 358, id. P.Z.S. 1859, p. 367, id. P.Z.S. 1860, pp. 272, 286, Sclater and Salv. P.Z.S. 363, id. Ibis, 1859, p. 131, Moore, P.Z.S. 1859, p. 53, Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p. 117, Dresser, Ibis, 172, Coues, Ibis, 1866, p. 263, Lawr. Ann. Lyc. New York, vii., p 290; id, Ann, Lyc. 1868, p. 118. of the white spots on the wing-feathers. Its geographical range is confined to the southern portion of the United States, the whole of Central America, and the western portion of South America, the southernmost locality yet recorded being the Tambo Valley, Peru, whence specimens have been lately sent by Mr. H. Whitely, junr., a young and energetic naturalist, who is at present engaged in exploring that part of the country. Through the kindness of Dr. P. L. Sclater, I have had free access to his collection, and have therefore been able to examine the specimens mentioned in his catalogue, while Mr. Salvin has placed at my service the whole of his fine series of American Kingfishers, thus enabling me to verify the correctness of the geographical distribution of this species by an actual examination of specimens from most of the above-mentioned localities. Mr. Dresser also very kindly lent me the specimens collected by him in Texas; and there is no doubt but that they are referable to the present bird. Some difficulty may be experienced in determining the species from young examples, as I think all Kingfishers are a long time gaining their fully adult size and plumage. The length of the wing is the best guide, I think, but old birds are easily distinguished by their larger and more robust size. As the type of the present species came from Peru, I have thought it best to figure a pair from that country. The birds in the accompanying plate are drawn from two very fine specimens procured on the 10th of October, 1867, in the Tambo Valley, by Mr. H. Whitely, junr. The description and measurements are also taken from these birds, which are both in my own collection. CHERYLE AMERICANA, (BRAZILIAN GREEN KINGFISHER.) Alcedo americana : : : : Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 451 (1788). Ceryle americana - : ‘ : Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316. Chloroceryle americana = : ; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 27, t. cecexiii, fig. 3112-3 (1851). Alcedo brasiliensis. 3 : ; Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 450 (1788). Alcedo viridis . 3 - ; ; Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’ Hist. Nat. ICS, p- 413 (1818). Chloroceryle chalcites . : : ‘ Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 28, t. cecexv, fig. 3120-21 (1851). Martin-pecheur vert et blanc de Cayenne . Buff. Pl. Enl. 591. Martin-pescador verde obscuro . : Azara, Apunt. No. 421. C. sexibus dissimilibus: dorso zneo viridi: guld albé: minor: rostro tenuiori: maculis alaribus minus distinctis. Hab. in regione Neotropica. Male. Above, bronzy-green ; sides and back of the neck white, forming a collar round the latter; quills black spotted with white, the secondaries tipped with the same _ colour, their inner web also being white at the base; tail bronzy-green above, black beneath, all the feathers being white at the base and also spotted with white on the inner __ web; throat white ; breast rufous ; abdomen white, flanks largely spotted with green; bill and feet black. Total length 6°8 inches, of bill from front 1:6, from gape 2-0, wing 3:0, metal 2°53. - = Female.. Similar to the male, but instead of the red chest has a band of green, below which is another irregular band of green extending down on to the flanks on both sides ; _ the under surface of the body is also tinged with fulvous. - Additional references.—Alcedo americana, Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 258 (1790), Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 242 _ (1831), Max, Beitr. Naturg. Bras. IV, p. 17 (1832), Darw. Voy. Beagle, p. 162 (1839), Hartl. Ind. Azar. p. 26 _ (1847), Cab. Schomb. Reis. in Guian. IIT, p. 704 (1848), Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 5 (1863). _ Ceryle ameri- cana, Gould, Voy. Beagle, Birds, p. 42 (1841), Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (1846), id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. _ 60 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 160 (1850), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852), Licht. Nomenel. Ay. /p. 27 (1854), Sclater, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 136, Pelz. Sitz. Acad. Wien, 1856, p. 515, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 139, Léot. Ois. de Trinid. p. 112 (1866), Scl. and Salv. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 192, et 1867, pp. 581, 978, et. 1868, p. 628, _ Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 23 (1868), Gray, Hand-list of B. p. 97 (1869). Chloroceryle americana, Bonap. Consp. Vol. _ Anis. p. 10 (1854), Burm. Th. Bras. II, p. 407 (1856), Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 147 (1860) Burm. Reis. La Plata III, p. 447 (1861), Scl. Cat. Am. Birds, p. 265 (1862). Alcedo viridis, Bon. et Vieill. _ Ene. Meth. I, p. 397 (1823). Alcedo brasiliensis, Bon. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 293 (1823). Chloroceryle chalcites, Burm. Th. Bras. II, p. 408, note (1856). Hab. New Granada, Bogota (mus. PL. Sclaier). Trimidad (Lectaud). Venezuela, San Esteban (Goering). Tobago (Kirk). Guiana, British Guiana (Schomburgk), Cayenne (mus. Berol.). Amazonia, Para, B Tocantins, South Bank of the Amazms ( Wallacz), Borba (-Naiterer), Pebss (Hauzwell), Lower Ucayali ( Bartlat), Santa Croz, Husllega River (Barilat). Brazil (Wied, Bur- meister ), Bio Janciro, Sapitiba, Rivers Piracaon and Piragné, Regisio do Sai, Taixera, Taipa, Vpanema, Irisenge, Goiez, Cuyaba, Rio Gusporé, Mato-grosso (Naiirer). Argenime Republic, Conchitas (Hudson). Parana ( Burmzsizr). This is the commonest species of American Kingfisher, and is widely distributed on the eastern side of South America; on the western and also to the northward above Panama, it is represented by Ceryle cabanisi. The notes subjoined are all the details I have been able to find respecting its habits. Mr. Darwin, in his “ Naturalisi’s Voyage” (Lc.), speaking of the birds of the Rio Parana, notices the present species, and says:— ‘It has a longer tail than the European species, and hence does not sit in so stiff and upright a position Its flight, also, instead of being direct and rapid like the course of an arrow, is weak and undulatory as among g the sofi-billed birds. It utters a low note like the clicking together of two small stones ” My friend “Mr. W. Jesse also informs me that the little Green Kingfisher of Brazil has a curious way of jerking his tail upwards, and the front figure m the accompanymg plate is drawn from a sketch he gave me. The late Prince Maximilian of Neu-Wied has recorded the following deiails respecting the present bird:— *This small Kingfisher is the commonest and most numerous of all the birds of this family observed by me in the Brazils. It lives everywhere m company with Alcado amazona, is very similar in form, habits, and colour, but is less shy, visiting even small puddles and marshy ponds near habitations, where ‘small fish have been left behind. It is most often observed on the shores of rivers, on the banks of small forest brooks, where, in the dark overshadowed cavities, it Sts on a root growing across, or a small twig, jerking its tail and often plunging suddenly into the water. Im the great heat of the day it is fond of washing in shallow water.” “In disposition it is not shy, and I have often approached close to one; on taking — fight they dart ey ae a bullet, but soon settle agai, often at the same time erecting in the longer tail, which it ofice iasen setae Tis food consists of small fishes: insects | have never found in the stomach. The nest is in the hole of a bank which is tunnelled by the bird itself, and the eggs are said to be white. The fishermen take the — young birds out of the nest, and use them for baiting their hooks.” ote My descriptions and the figures in the plate are from Bahia specimens. ~ CERYLE INDA, ¢ & &. CERYLE INDA. (RUFOUS AND GREEN KINGFISHER). Alcedo inda, . : : ; : . Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 179 (1766). Ceryleinda . ; . . : . Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (c. 1844), Chloroceryleinda . : : ; : Selater, Cat. Am. Birds, p. 265 (1862). Alcedo viridirufa, . , ; 2 : Bodd. Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 36 (1783). Ceryle viridirufa, . . 5 ; : Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (¢. 1844). Chloroceryle viridirufa . : : : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein, th. II. p. 146 (1860). Alcedo bicolor : : : : : Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 454 (1788). Ceryle bicolor f ; . 3 : Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316. Chloroceryle bicolor, : : 5 , Reich. Handb, Alced. p. 29, t. eceexiv, fig. 3118—19 (1851) Amazonis bicolor, . ‘ ; : : Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis, p. 10 (1854). Alcedo indica, : : . ; ° Drap. Dict. Class, d’ Hist. Nat, x, p, 231 (1826). Spotted Kingfisher, : . . . Edw, Gleanings vii, pl. 335 (1764), Martin-pecheur vert et rouw de Cayenne,. Buff. Pl. Enl. 592. Sakaika, of the Natives of British Guiana (Schomburgk). C. sexibus differentibus: dorso zneo-viridi: gulé rufescente: major: abdomine et crisso intensé rufis. Fem, 4 torque pectorali viridi albo mixté distinguenda, Hab. in Regione Neotropica. Additional references.—Alcedo inda, Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 259 (1790), Bon. et Vieill. Encl. Meth. I, p, 397 (1823), Shaw and Nodd. Nat. Misc. xxi, pl. 889 (1809): Ceryle inda, Cass, Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 3 (1852), id. Proc, Phil. Acad. 1860, p. 133, Lawr. Ann, Lye. N. Y. vii, p. 290 (1860), id. Ann. Lye N. Y. viii, p. 183 (1865), Scl. and Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 363, id. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 581. Alcedo viridirufa, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 5 (1863). Ceryle viridirufa, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 61 (1848). Alcedo bicolor, Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 258 (1790), Bon. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 290 (1823), Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 242 (1831), Wied, Beitr. Naturg. Bras. iv, p. 23 (1832), Cab. in Schomb. Reis, Guian. III, p. 704 (1848). Ceryle bicolor, Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 8 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 160 (1850), Licht. Nomencl. Ay. p. 27 (1854), Pelz. Sitz. Akad. Wien, 1856, p. 515, id. Orn. Bras. p, 23 (1868). Chloroceryle bicolor, Burm. Th. Bras. II, p. 406 (1856). Amazonis bicolor, Bonap. Bull. Linn. Soc. Norm. II, p. 37 (1857). Male. Above bronzy-green; a streak from the nostral to the eye, rufous; lower part of the back and the exterior web of the wing and tail feathers minutely spotted with white; interior web of the same irregularly half-banded with white; entire under-surface chesnut- rufous, paler on the chin and sides of the neck; bill black; feet red. Total length 8.8 inches, of ae front 1.9, from gape 2.5, wing 3.9, tail 2.6, tarsus 0.07, middle toe 0.6, hind toe U.Vo. Female. Similar to the male, but has the breast crossed by a transverse belt, green mixed with white. Hab. Central America; Nicaragua, Greytown (Holland), Veragua, Panama (Mc Leannan), Turbo (Wood), Guiana: British Guiana (Schomburgk), Cayenne (Mus. P. L. Sclater). Amazonia: Mexiana, Para ( Wallace), Mammoneira, Guadamor, Matrincham, ( Ne atterer), Huallaga River, Peruvian Amazons i= uaa Brazil: Guyats (Natterer), Baki ( Wuch lerer, mus. 0. Salvin). Island of Santa Catherine (mus. Dresd.) This fine species along with Ceryle superciliosa forms the subgenus Amazonis of Reich- enbach, which was considered to be a distinct genus by Bonaparte. This is only one out of many instances in which the last-named Ornithologist admitted genera solely on the | eround of a distinct style of coloration and not from any real structural difference. The two species included by him in this genus do not present any variation of form from that of the other’ American Green Kingfishers, and are only remarkable in so much that the under surface of the body is entirely rufous. Mr. C. J. Wood who obtained this species during the U. 8. Isthmus of Darien Expedi- tion observes, that ‘‘ one specimen was seen in a salt water marsh near the village of Turbo very quiet and easily approached.” = y I am indebted to Mr. Edward Bartlett, whose energetic researches in Eastern Peru have contributed so much to increase our knowledge of the Avi-fauna of that almost inac- cessible part of South America, for the following very interesting note on the habits of this Species. “The Ceryle inda is very rare on the waters of the Peruvian Amazon, or River Maranon. During the four years I resided there I only obtained two specimens, which I shot in a small brook near Santa Cruz, on the Huallaga River. They are not found on the open waters, but in the densely-covered small streams. The nest is in holes in the banks as in the case of other Kingfishers. This species is extremely shy and difficult to obtain.” The figures in the plate and the descriptions are from a fine pair in my own collection from Demerara. « _ ae CERYLE SUPERCILIOSA, 6 & @. CHRYLE SUPERCILIOSA. (LEAST GREEN KINGFISHER. ) Alcedo superciliosa, : ; Linn, Syst. Nat. I, p. 179 (1766). Ceryle Fs ‘ : Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (c. 1844). Chloroceryle ,, : ; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 28, t.cecexv, fig. 3122-24 (1851). Amazonis ,, : Bonap. Cons, Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854). Martin-pecheur petit vert de Cayenne, Buff. Pl. Enl. 756. C. supra nitenté-viridis, subtus rufa: valdé minor: abdomine medio crissoque albis. Fem. & vitté pectorali viridi distinguenda. Hab. in parte septentrionali regionis Neotropice. Above shining green, forehead and wing-coverts spotted with ochre; a spot on each side of the head at the base of the bill, extending backwards over the eye pale reddish ; the neck encircled with a band of white feathers, tipped with reddish; wing-feathers blackish, the secundaries having the outer web edged with green spotted with ochre, and the basal half of the inner web pale reddish; under surface deep red, becoming dually paler on the throat and chin; abdomen and under tail-coverts pure white; bill black, the basal portion of the lower mandible yellowish; feet reddish; eye dark brown. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1, from gape 1.3, wing 2.2, tail 1.6, tarsus 0.2, middle toe 0.4, hind toe .2. The female differs from the male in having a broad pectoral band composed of green feathers edged with white. 7. BI dos Ps of Hab. Central America, Mexico, Tuxtla (Boucard), Playa Vicente, Oaxaca (Boucard ), Guatemala, Lake Peten (Leyland) cnoctum, Vera Par, Rio Samala, Belize River (Salvin), Costa Rica ( Ellendorf), Veragua, Panama (McLeannan), Turbo ( Wood). Guiana: British Guiana (Schomburgk), Surinam (Mus. PF hil.), Cayenne (Mus. Phil.), Trinidad (Léotaud), Amazonia, Mexiana (Wallace), Caigara, Engenho do Cap, Gama, Matagrosso, Borba, Cocuy, Marabitanas, Rio Amajau (Natterer), Pebas (Hi auxwell), Chyavetas, BE. Pera (Bartlett). ; The present is one of the oldest known species of Kingfishers, being figured as long ago as 1758 by Edwards. For such a small bird it enjoys a very wide geographical range the highest locality yet recorded being S. Andres Tuxtla, in the State of Vera Cruz, where it was collected by Boucard. poe) Less. Tr. d’Orn. p. 244 (1831), Cab. Schomb. Reis. Guian. III. p. 704 (1848); Schl. Mus. Pays . p. 6 (1863); Ceryle superciliosa, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 62 (1848); Bonap. Cons. Gen. Av. p. 24 AL: Chloroceryle superciliosa, Burm. Th. Bras. II. p. 408, note; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. ( Mr. Salvin observed this species in the Pacific coast-region of Guatemala, frequenting the forest swamps as well as the large rivers. He has also favoured me with a note to the effect that he ‘found it on the banks of the Belize River, and generally throughout the lowland coast region of Guatemala.’ The present species was also met with at Turbo, by Messrs. H. and J. C. Wood, who accompanied the U.S. Expedition to the Isthmus of Darien, and is recorded by Mr. Cassin.* Mr. C. J. Wood remarks :-— ; ‘‘ Tn a salt-water marsh, almost in the village of Turbo, one specimen only was seen perched in a bush, which was obtained without dificulty, being very unsuspicious.” In the Guianas it is apparently more common, and Schomburgk says (/.c.): ‘* This is the smallest species found in British Guiana. I met with it often near the coast in the neighbourhood of stagnant pools and ditches, as well as in rivers. It feeds on small fish.” Mr. P. L. Sclater has a specimen in his collection from Trinidad, in which island says Leotaud (/. c.), it is ‘a resident, not very common. It is observed at the places where the sea joins the fresh water. There is nothing particular in its habits; it seems, however, to be less shy than the other species.’ PELARGOPSIS MELANORYNCHA. PELARGOPSIS MELANORHYNCHA, (CREAM-COLOURED STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo melanorhyncha . : r : 4 Temm. Pl. Col 391 (1826). Haleyon melanorhyncha . : - : : Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846). Halcyon melanorhyncha . : - : : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 18, t. ecexcix, fig. 3074 (1851). Rhamphaleyon melanorhyncha . - : : Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Pelargopsis melanorhyncha - ° 5 Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1870, p. 62. P. rostro nigro: pileo albescente, fronte griseo: interscapulio, dorso postico et uropygio cum corpore subtus diluté ochraceis ; scapularibus, cum alis et cauda sordidé viridibus. Hab. in insulis ‘‘ Celebes’”’ et ‘ Sula’ dictis. Entire body cream-colour, a little deeper on the throat and approaching to pale orange on the abdomen and under tail-coverts; forehead dusky-grey, the base of a few feathers on the crown also slightly shewing this colour; cheeks and ear-coverts more decided dusky- grey, the feathers narrowly edged or washed with cream-colour ; middle of the back, _ scapularies, and wing-coverts brownish, washed with dull green, the latter narrowly edged _ with cream-colour at the tip; quills dark brown, the inner web white at the base, the basal half of the outer web of the primaries and the whole of the outer web of the secondaries dusky-green ; tail dusky-green above, dark brown beneath ; bill black; feet dusky ; eyes dark brown. Total length 14 inches, of bill from front 3.3, from gape 3.5, wing 5.9, tail _ 8°7, tarsus 0°45, middle toe 1.1, hind toe 0.5. Hab. Celebes (Wallace), Sula Islands ( Wallace). . Those systematists, who follow in the tracks of the late Prince Bonaparte, and who . _ consider any striking variation in the style of plumage as of primary importance, would have no scruple in separating the present bird as generically distinct from the other species _ of the genus Pelargopsis. I have indeed been told that it ought to be generically separated, but I cannot see the propriety of such a step, in the entire absence, so far as I can deter- _ mine of structural peculiarities whence generic characters can be selected. 4 Mr. Wallace has very kindly given me the following note on this bird made by him _ during his residence in Celebes:—‘‘ Bill black; inside of the bill and soles of the feet _ orange ; feet above black ; eats fish, shrimps, &c.”’ The figure in the plate as well as the description and measurements are taken from a _ fine male from Celebes presented to my collection by my friend Mr. W. T. Fraser. _ Additional references.—Alcedo melanorhyncha, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p, 15 (1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind _ Aleed. pp. 10, 47, pl. 2 (1864). Halcyon melanorhyncha, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I. p. 155 (1850) ; Cass. Cat _ Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 10 (1852); Wall. Ibis, 1860, p. 142; id. P.Z.S. 1862, pp. 335, 338. wee (la Se Ce fe a ee ee Ee ee ee ee PELARGOPSIS AMAUROPTERA. (BROWN-SHOULDERED STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER). Halcyon amauroptera ‘ : : , Pears. Journ. As. Soc, Beng. 1841, p, 635. Ramphaleyon amauroptera . : : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 17, t. eecclxxxi., fig. 3407 (1851). Pelargopsis amauroptera . ; : ; : Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 157 (1860). P. rostro rubro: scapularibus brunneis. Hab. in regione Indo-Malayana. Entire head, neck, and under-surface of the body yellowish cinnamon; upper part of the back, scapularies, and wing-coverts, chocolate-brown; entire back and rump silvery- cobalt; quills chocolate-brown, the inner web light cinnamon at the base; tail-coverts and tail chocolate-brown, darker underneath; bill and feet sealing-wax red. Total length 13.0 a a Ma from front 3.0, from gape 3.5, wing 5.8, tail 4.0, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 1.0, ind toe 0.5. Hab. Bengal (Sundurbuns especially); Arakan; Tenasserim provinces; very abundant along the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal, not yet observed on the western. Not rare in the vicinity of Calcutta (Blyth), Assam (mus. H. B. Tristram). This abnormally-coloured Pelargopsis is one of the most clearly characterized of all the species of Stork-billed Kingfishers, and cannot be confounded with any other member of the family. Notwithstanding that the bird is not rare in the localities which it affects, there are very few collections in Europe which possess specimens. Little is known of its habits but they are doubtless similar to the other species of Pelargopsis. Mr. Jerdon gives us the following observations in the “ Birds of India” :— “This is a handsomely coloured species, the beautiful pale sky-blue contrasting so effectively with the brown and sober tints of the rest of the plumage. It is only found within our limits, in Bengal, being not rare about Calcutta, though more common in the Sunderbuns, where I have frequently seen it; and it is more abundant still to the East, in Arrakan and Tenasserin. It does not appear to ascend rivers, in Bengal, far beyond the reach of the tide. It is a noisy species, and has a very loud, harsh, and grating cry. It feeds chiefly on fishes, making a violent plunge into the water.” Additional references.—Halcyon amauroptera, Blyth, Ann. Nat. Hist. xii, p. 94 (1843); Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79(1846); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus, As. Soc. Beng., p. 313 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 155 (1850); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 10 (1852); Horsf. and Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 124 (1854); Jerdon, Birds of Ind. I, p. 224 (1862); Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 347. Ramphalcyon amauroptera, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis., p. 10 (1854). Pelargopsis amawroptera, Sharpe, P,Z.S., 1870, p. Some Ornithologists have considered their present species to be only a variety of Halcyon gurial, an identification manifestly untenable, for besides the entire difference in coloration, both Mr. Blyth and Dr. Jerdon state that the notes of the two species are entirely different. I'am indebted to Dr. H. B. Tristram for the loan of the specimen from which the description and figure in the present work are taken. PELARGOPSIS LEUCOCEPHALA. (BORNEAN STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER.) i > Martin-pécheur de Java : : ‘ ~, att, B21. Teal. 787. Alcedo javana : ; 2 : - ; Bodd, Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 757 (1813, ex Buff.) White-headed kingfisher . : ‘ : , Lath. Syn. I. pt. II, p. 678 (1782). Alcedo leucocephala : ; : ; ‘ Gen. Syst. Nat. I, p. 456 (1788, ew Lath). Halcyon leucocephala F : - ‘ : Steph., Gen. Zool. viii, p. 100 (1826). Pelargopsis leucocephala , . d ‘ Sharpe, P.Z.S., 1870, p. Alcedo javanica. : : ‘ ‘ : Shaw, Gen. Zool. viii. p. 67 (1811). Halcyon javana . : Z ! : : Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846). Haleyon javana ; : (pt.), Pelz. Voy. Nov. Vog., p. 49 (1865). Bakaka and Rajah udong of the Burmese (Motley). P. rostro rubro: capite haud pileato, collo postico concolori: minor: supra letissimé cyanea. Hab. in insula “ Borneo ” dicta. Head and back of the neck pale ochre; back of the neck richer ochre; upper part of the back and scapularies ultramarine with a faint greenish lustre; lower part of the back ‘emely rich cobalt ; wing-coverts rich ultramarine; quills dark blackish-brown, the inner web pale ochre at the base, the basal half of the outer web of the primaries and the whole the outer web of the secondaries very rich ultramarine ; tail rich ultramarine above, 2k beneath ; throat and ckeeks pale ochre; rest of the under surface of the body rich e, a few of the flanks washed with ultramarine ; bill dark sealing-wax red; feet dark . Total length 13.0 inches, of bill from front 3.0, from gape 3.3, wing 5.8, tail 3.3, sus 0.45, middle toe 0.1, hind toe 0.45. Hab. Borneo, Sarawak (Wallace), Banjermassing (Motley), Labuan (Motley). The old authors were so notably inaccurate in the localities they assigned to the ious species of birds described by them, that we ought not to be surprised when it mes evident that the Stork-billed Kingfisher stated by them to be from Java, appears apparently unquestionable grounds not to inhabit that island, but to be found only in eo. This fact was first pointed out by Lord Walden (P.Z.S. 1866, p. 553) and my researches confirm his Lordship’s decision. So far as I can see the Bornean Stork- Kingfisher appears to be a distinct species, but a comparison of the plate given by me with the figure of the Martin-pecheur de Java given by Buffon in the ‘* Planches Enluminées” will shew at once that the two birds figured are identical. The figure in the present work is \ Additional references. —Alcedo leucocephala, Lath, Ind. Orn. I, p. 48 (1790) ; Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 288 (1823); Shaw and Nodd. Nat. Misc. pl. 798 (1807). Halcyon lewcocephala, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 154 (1850); Sclater, P.Z.S., 1863, p. 213. taken from a fine adult male obtained at Sarawak by Mr. Wallace, and now in Lord Walden’s collection. Acting, therefore, on these identifications I have superseded the name javana of Boddaert, which is manifestly inapplicable, by the next in order of priority, leucocephala of Gmelin, Looking at the accompanying figure the term ‘‘ White-headed Kingfisher” would seem out of place, but in specimens where the plumage is somewhat worn, the feathers on the head appear whitish, and I have seen an example of this fact in a specimen collected by the late Mr. Motley at Banjermassing and lent to me by the Rev. H. B. Tristram, in whose collection the bird now remains. The only original observations on its habits are those of Mr. Motley (lc.). He observes :— ‘* This is one of our commonest Kingfishers, and to be seen everywhere, both in fresh and brackish water, though I think rarely where the water is truly salt. It usually perches on rather high exposed branches, and is wild and not easy to approach, flying off with a loud chatter, precisely resembling its name Bakaka. The Malay races are particularly happy in onomotopeias of this kind. It is also called Rajah udong (king of the shrimps)— a true King Stork, I suppose.” The description and figure are from Lord Walden’s Sarawak specimen. ea d PELARGOPSIS GOULD). PELARGOPSIS GOULDL (GOULD’S STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER). Pelargopsis gouldi. . : : ; 3 : Sharpe, P Z.S., 1870, p. P. rostro rubro: scapularibus viridi-cyaneis: capite haud pileato, collo postico concolori: major: supra viridi-cyanea. Hob. in insulis Philippinis. Whole head and neck, and the whole of the under surface of the body rich ochre ; upper part of the back, scapularies, wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts and upper surface of the tail green, slightly inclining to blue on the latter; whole of the back and rump silvery cobalt ; quills blackish, the inner web pale orange at the base, the exterior web of the primaries and nearly the whole of both webs of the secondaries bright cobalt ; bill rich vermillion ; feet dark red. Total length 13 inches, of bill from front 3.2, from gape 3.6, wing 6.0, tail 3.5, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 1.0, hind toe 0.5. Hab. Manilla (Cuming, mus. J. Gould). This species must not be confounded with the Bornean P. leucocephala, from which it may be distinguished by its larger size, and by the total absence of the blue on the upper surface so very distinct in the last named bird. All the parts which in P. leucocephala are bright ultramarine are in the present species vivid green. Besides the specimen in Mr. Gould’s collection, from which I have taken the descrip- tion, and from which the plate is drawn, the Derby Museum possesses another collected in Manilla by the late Hugh Cuming. I am indebted to Mr. Gould for the loan of his beautiful specimen, which is also from Manilla, as it enables me to give a figure of the type Sagas a “1uyasvus sisdO9Y¥VISd Poon GOPSIS. FRASERI. (FRASER’S STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER.) Pelargopsis Fraseri . : Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 65. Ispida capitis bone sper : Briss. Orn. IV, p. 488. Alcedo capensis . - : Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 180 (1766, ex. Briss); Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Méth. I. p- 285 (1823). Haleyon capensis . : : Eyton, P. Z. S. 1839, p. 101. Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I. p. 154 (1850) ; Ramphaleyon javana . : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 7, t. ecexcviii. b. fig. 3406 (1851, nec. Bodd.). Halcyon javana . ; ; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT. p. 156 (1860, nec. Bodd.); (pt-) Pelz. Reise d. Nov, Vég. p. 49 (1865). Haleyon javanica . : : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 11 (1852, nec. Shaw). Alcedo leucocephala : : Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. XIII, p. 174 (1822, nec Gm.); Raffl. Trans. Linn. Soc. XIII, p. 293 (1822). Halcyon leucocephalus . : Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 46 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 154 (1850); Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. ef Oor Lk p- 123 (1854, pt.); Moore, P. Z. 8S. 1854, p. 268. Burong-Kaka of the natives of the Malay peninsula (Zyton). Tengke-Buto of the Javans (Horsfield). _ Bang-Kaka of the natives of Sumatra (Raffles). P. rostro rubro: scapularibus viridi-cyaneis: capite indistincté pileato, ochrascenti cinereo. Hab. in sub-regione Indo-Malayana. | Head indistinctly capped, ashy brown, strongly washed with pale ochre ; space between - the bill and the eye, cheeks, and ear-coverts more decidedly ashy grey ; sides and back ot the neck ochre; upper part of the back and scapularies indigo-blue, with more or less of a greenish tinge; whole of the back rich cobalt ; wing-coverts blue, with a slight greenish Behe quills pale brown, the inner web light ochre at the base, the outer web, especially of the secondaries, indigo; tail indigo above, black beneath ; under surface of the body ochre, tinged with whitish on the throat; bill dark sealing-wax red; feet dark red. ‘Total length 14 inches, of bill from front 3:3, from gape 3-7, wing 6°2, tail 3°8, tarsus 0:45, middle toe 1, hind toe 0°45. Hab. Java (Horsfield, Wallace), Malacca (mus. R. B. S.), Penang (Cantor; mus. R. B.S.), Sumatra (Rapes, Wallace). In my paper on the genus Pelargopsis (J.c.), I proposed the name of Mr. W. T. Frascr for the present species instead of retaining the one which seems by right to belong to the capitis bone spei” of Brisson, and if perpetuated could only lend additional confusion as to the correct locality of the species. The present bird is nearly allied to the Bornean P. leucocephala; but this latter species, so far as I can at present determine, never puts on a cap, which is always more or less dis- tinct in the Javan bird. In addition to this character, P. fraseri is always much more green in tint. It is very seldom that we meet with a specimen of P. Fraseri with anything like a distinct cap. Mr. Wallace’s collection, however, contains a specimen obtained by himself in Eastern Java which has the cap very distinct, like the bird figured by Prof Reichenbach (/. c.). The species, however, differs from P. burmanica by always having an admixture of ochre, sometimes very strongly marked in the feathers of the head. The following account of the bird’s habits is from the pen of the Vicomte de Bocarmé and is published by Professor Schlegel (Mus. Pays Bas, Alced., p. 13) :— ‘‘'The Javan chiefs have ordinarily, within the limits of their principal residence, ponds filled with divers species of choice fish, to which are thrown daily nests full of the chrysalides of ants. These nests are combs of a light paste which swim on the top of the water and offer to the fish a very delicate morsel. They come immediately these are thrown in, and’ by the means of suction they very soon extract the chrysalides and larvee which the holes contain. This great Kingfisher does not forget to visit these ponds, which he succeeds in depopulating entirely. He creates much more terror than the Otter (Lutra leptonyx), for a dog on guard keeps the latter away, but the bird appears each time that — Morpheus holds his reign, that is to say very often. He also frequents rivers and marshes. Besides fish, he devours greedily the heaps of eggs that the fishermen lay in an oval lump of eight or ten lines in diameter, surrounded with pieces of grass ; a dish that the Javans themselves do not despise.” On the plate is figured a Sumatran specimen obtained by Mr. Wallace in that island, while the right-hand figure represents a Javan specimen preserved by Dr. Horsfield, and now in the Cambridge Museum. The Sumatran race of P. frasert is much smaller, the blues slightly more intense, but the bird appears to be not specifically separable. bird, viz., Alcedo capensis of Linneus, inasmuch as this name is founded on the “ Ispida i , Pewee hGoPsiIs. GURIAL. (INDIAN STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER.) Haleyon gurial , ‘ Pears. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1841, p. 633 (descr. orig.) ; Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soe. Beng. p. 47 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 155 (1850); Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 228; Blyth, Ibis, 1865, p. 30. Ramphaleyon gurial : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 16, t. eeeexxvi (1851). Pelargopsis gurial . . Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 156 (1860); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 66. Haleyon capensis . : Jerd. Madr. Journ. 1840, p, 231 ; Blyth, Ann. Nat. Hist. XII. p. 94 (1843). Haleyon brunniceps . : Jerd. Madr. Journ. 1844, p. 143. Haleyon leucocephalus (part.) Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co. p. 123 (1854). Haleyon leucocephalus Jerdon, Birds of India, I. p. 222 (1862); Day, Land of Perm. p. 460 (1863); Beav. Ibis, 1865, p. 407; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 347. Gurial of the Bengalese (Pearson). Mala-poyma of the natives of Malabar (Jerdon). P. rostro rubro ; scapularibus viridi-cyaneis ; capite distincte pileato, saturaté brunneo, haud cyaneo lavato. Hab, in sub-regione Indica. Head dark chocolate-brown ; sides of the neck and a collar encircling the same pale _ ochre ; upper portion of the back and scapularies dull green, rest of the back rich greenish _ cobalt; wing-coverts dull green with a faint blue lustre; quills black, the inner web yellowish _ white at the base, the outer edge of the whole of the feathers greenish blue; tail greenish _ blue above, black beneath; under surface of the body ochre, palest on the throat; bill very dark sealing-wax red ; feet dull red. Total length 14 inches, of bill from front 3:1, from _ gape 3°7, wing 6°4, tail 3°6, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 1:1, hind toe 0°5. Hab. All India, from the extreme south to Bengal and Ceylon ; common in Malabar ; rarely seen in the Carnatic and upon the table-land; occasionally found in Central India and the Northern Circars ; most abundant in Bengal, but apparently not found, or rare, in the north-west (Jerdon. ). This Kingfisher is easily distinguished from all the other members of the genus by its distinct dark brown cap. In Assam and Nepal a race occurs which has a slightly lighter cap, but beyond this sub-species birds from all parts of India are identical. “Tn Cochin,” says Dr. Day (/.c.), “the strong as well as handsome Gurial Kingfisher is _ found near the ghauts; it is very wary, and its flight greatly resembles that of the Alcedo _ bengalensis.” The following observations, containing as they do, a summary of most of the notes that have been written on its habits by Indian Ornithologists, are taken from Dr. Jerdon’s. work q on the “ Birds of India” (l.c.):— ‘Our bird is found along rivers, streams, and back waters ; but only where tolerably well shaded by trees. It sits on a branch overhanging the water and pounces on fish, crabs, wr occasionally frogs _ It has rather a peculiar call (peer, peer, pur) several times repeated. Layard, however, calls it a loud harsh note, not unlike the cracking of castanets. It is said to build in hollow trees, or in holes in mud- -walls. Mr. Smith, as quoted in Horsfield’s Catalogue, says that he once observed a contest between a bird of this species and a Hawk of considerable size, in which the latter was worsted and obliged to leave his hold, from the effects of a severe blow which the other administered to him on the breast.” The description and figure are taken from a specimen in my collection from India, given me by my friend Mr. W. J. Williams. _ PELARGOPSIS MALACCENSIS (MALACCA STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER.) Pelargopsis malaccensis : : : ; : : Sharpe, P. Z. 8. 1870, p. 67. - P. similis. P. gurial sed conspicué minor: dorso postico leté cyaneo: scapularibus saturate cyaneo- viridibus. Hab. in peninsula Malaccensi. Head dark brown ; upper part of the body dark blue with scarcely any greenish tinge; lower part of the back and rump bright cobalt ; upper tail-coverts blue like the back; quills black, washed and edged with blue; tail blue above, greyish black beneath ; entire under surface of the body with a collar encircling the neck rich buff inclining to orange, especially on the flanks; bill deep coral-red blackish towards the tip; feet red. Total length 12 6 — from front 3:2, from gape 3°5, wing 5°5, tail 2°3, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 0°1, hind toe 0°5. Hab. Malacca ( Wallace ; mus. R. B. Se) ___ This species I provisionally separated in my paper on the genus Pelargopsis (J.c.), but ‘since that time I have seen several specimens and am convinced that it is perfectly distinct. It belongs to the same group as P. gurial and P. floresiana, but differs from both by its small size. I do not, however, think it worth while to give a figure. The description and measurements are from the type-specimen in my collection. ma «lye RR —_—— = , 2. 72?) eas”. oe We Ne . oe Jy ote aie By a.) eo a = oe = , ys 7 PELARGOPSIS BURMANICA. PELARGOPSIS BURMANICA. (BURMESE STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER). Pelargopsis burmanica . é : ; . Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1870, p. Haleyon leucocephalus . : - : é Gould, P.Z.S. 1829, pp.151, 152 (nec Gm.) ? Ramphalcyon capensis : : ; - Reich., Handb, Alced., p. 16, t. ecexcix, fig. 3072-73 (1851). P. rostro rubro: scapularibus viridi-cyaneis: capite distincte pileato, albescenti-cinereo, haud cyaneo lavato. Hab. in plag& Indo-sinensi subregionis Indo-Malayane. Head, which is distinctly capped, clear albescent-grey; sides of the neck and a collar encircling the same very deep ochre ; upper part of the back and scapularies dull green with a faint blue lustre here and there ; whole of the back very rich cobalt ; wing coverts greenish more distinctly washed with blue ; quills brown, the inner web pale ochre at the base, the exterior web, especially of the secondaries, externally edged with bright blue ; tail bright blue above, dark brown beneath ; entire under surface very deep ochre ; bill dark vermillion ; feet dark red. Total length 14.0 inches, of bill from front 3.4, from gape 3.7, wing 6.0, tail 3.8, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 1.0, hind toe 0.5. Hab. Andaman Islands ( Tytler, Beavan), Burmah (Blyth), Siam (Schomburgh), Tenas- serim Provinces (riggs). This is the bird spoken of by Mr. Blyth and other ornithologists as the Burmese race of Halcyon gurial, but until my recent examination of the genus its exact range had not been correctly made out. From all other brown-capped species of Pelargopsis the present species differs in the colour of the cap, which is albescent, and not brown as in its allies. The range of Pelargopsis burmanica, as hitherto determined, seems to indicate that it is confined to the Indo-Chinese region. It is common in Burmah, and also met with in Siam, while I am of opinion that it is also found in the northern part of the Malayan peninsular. Colonel Tytler obtained it in the Andaman Islands, where he states it was cy bid abundant, frequenting the groves of mangroves which skirt the sea-shore.” have doubtfully referred the birds figured by Reichenbach (/.c.) to the present species. Additional references.—Halcyon leucocephalus (nec Gm.) Schomb. Ibis, 1864, p. 247 ; Beav. Ibis, 1866. p. ~~ Tien P.Z.S. 1866, p. 553; Beav. Ibis, 1867, p. 318; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus, E. I. Co. I, p, 123 » pt.) His figures are generally difficult to identify, and as the locality of the birds delineated _ is said to be “t South Africa,” an examination of the specimens alone can solve the question correctly. The locality assigned is of course utterly incorrect. The description and figure is taken from the type-specimen, lent me by Lord Walden, who received it in a collection from Tongu in Burmah. PELARGOPSIS FLORESIANA. PHELARGOPSIS FLORESIANA., (FLORES STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER). Pelargopsis floresiana . : . : s Sharpe, P.Z.S., 1870, p. Martin-pecheur du cap de Bonne Esperance . Buff, Pl. Enl. 590. Halcyon capensis. : ' : ; : Swains, Classif, of B. IL., p.335 (1837, ex Buff. nec Linn . Halcyon leucocephalus . . : : : Wall, P.Z.S., 1863, p. 483 (nec Gm). P. rostro rubro: scapularibus viridi-cyaneis: capite distincté pileato, pallidé brunneo, viridi-cyaneo lavato. Hab. in insula ‘ Flores’ dicta. Head (distinctly capped) pale brown, witha greenish-blue lustre; cheeks, sides of the neck, and a collar encircling the back of the neck, pale ochre ; upper part of the back and scapularies ultramarine, with a tinge of green; back rich cobalt, deepening into ultramarine on the rump and upper tail coverts; quills brownish-black, the inner web pale ochre at the base, the outer webs, especially of the secondaries, washed with blue; tail rich blue above, black beneath; under surface of the body deep ochre, much paler on the throat ; bill dark sealing-wax red, black at the tip ; feet dark red. Total length 13.5 inches, of bill from front 3.2, from gape 3.7, wing 5.7, tail, 3.6, tarsus 0.45, middle toe 1.0, hind toe 0.45. Hab. Flores ( Wallace). I refer to this species the bird figured by Buffon (/.c.), because in his plate he repre- sents a Kingfisher with a green cap. Having, by an examination of specimens from Flores, discovered that the species inhabiting this island always has the cap very distinctly washed with green, I have separated it on account of this peculiarity, and refer Buffon’s plate to the same bird. The figures in the plate are taken from the typical specimens, as also are the descrip- tions. ry. eae 4 FA bo Ss peel a ah Ves aoe Oo oc te pc cS) _ a ae — ae | a aS CEYX PHILIPPINENSIS. CHYX PHILIPPINENSIS. (PHILIPPINE KINGFISHER.) Ceyx philippinensis, : ; : : Gould, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 404. C rostro nigro, longiori: capite cyaneo fasciato : gula rufescente: pectore et abdomine intensé rufis: pectoris lateribus intensé lazulino lavatis. Hab. in insulis Philippinis. Head and nape bright indigo, thickly banded with irregular markings of bright cobalt ; back very bright shining cobalt, inclining to ultramarine on the rump; scapularies and wing-coverts black, washed with bright indigo, the latter also spotted with cobalt; wing- feathers blackish, the secondaries narrowly edged with indigo; throat whitish, tinged with rufous; a patch of feathers on the side of the neck pure white, tinged with rufous on the outer edge; a spot infront of the eye, and the entire under-surface as well as the under wing-coverts deep rufous, the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts slightly tinged with indigo; shoulders, and a spot on each side of the upper part of the breast, shining lazuli-blue; upper mandible brownish black, lower mandible pale orange; feet orange. ‘Total length 5.5 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.7, wing 2.3, tail 1.1, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.2. : Hab. Luzon: Manilla (mus. J. Gould.) This species, which was characterized as new by Mr. Gould at a Meeting of the Zoolo- gical Society on June 28th, 1868, is certainly very closely allied to Alcyone cyanopectus, from which, however, it may at once be distinguished by the deep chesnut-red colour of the under parts, and by the want of the distinct blue pectoral band which characterizes the latter species. The whole tone of the plumage also is brighter, and it very much resembles at first sight Alcedo moluccensis, from the style of plumage. It is, however, a typical Ceyx in form. The figure in the plate is taken from the type specimen, as also are the description and measurements. Mr. Gould received it from Manilla, and after describing it, he very kindly placed it at my disposal for the present work, : CEYX SOLITARIA. CHEYX SOLITARIA (SOLITARY KINGFISHER.) Ceyx solitaria, : ; : Temm. Pl. Col. 595. % 5 : : : Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1868, p. 271. Alcyone ,, : ; ; Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I, p, 82 (¢. 1844). # 5, : : : Bonap, Consp. Gen, Av. I, p. 158 (1850). “3 £ : ; Reich. Hand. Alced. p, 7, t. cecxeviii, fig. 3067 (1851). Alcedo ,, : : : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 17 (1863). a *- A : 5 » Vog, Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 12, 48, pl. 3 (1864). Therosa ,, : : : Miller, MS. Ceyxe meninting . , : Less. Voy. Coq. I, p. 691 (1826). C. rostro nigro: capite cyaneo fasciato: omnino minor: pectore et abdomine flavidis: ould alba. Hab. in Nova Guinea et in insulis adjacentibus. Head and nape black, banded with bright ultramarine ; back and scapularies rich ultra- marine; cheeks and wing-coverts black, spotted with bright ultramarine; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web fuscous from the base, the secundaries narrowly edged with blue; tail black, edged with blue ; throat white; a spot in front of the eye and a longitudinal patch of feathers on the sides of the neck, yellowish white ; entire under-surface light orange ; bill entirely black; feet orange. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.6, wing 2.1, tail 0.8, tarsus 0.2, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.2. Hab. New Guinea (Wallace), Aru Islands (Wallace), Ceram (Mus. Lugd.), Mysol (Wallace). On account of its having a black beak, I suppose, this species has been classed by several writers as an A/cyone, but an examination of a specimen will show that it is more closely allied to Ceyz. The gonys is certainly not so abruptly ascending as is usual in the latter genus, but I have seen specimens with a bill quite as much depressed as that of an Alcyone is compressed. Added to this, its habits, which seem to be entirely insectivorous, according to the little we know about them, sufficiently indicate it to be a true Cey. Mr. Wallace has kindly given me the following note, respecting it: ‘* This little Kingfisher seems to be strictly confined to the Papuan Islands. The stomachs of those I killed contained the remains of water-beetles and other insects.” Lesson, who has most erroneously referred the present bird to the Alcedo meninting of Horsfield, says (/. c.) that ‘‘it was found in the neighbourhood of small brooks in the vici- nity of Dorey, New Guinea.” Mr. Wallace thinks that the locality of Ceram given by Dr. Schlegel in the “ Museum des Pays Bas” is most probably erroneous, as it is unauthenticated by the name of any well-known collector. It is, however, just possible that the specimen mentioned may have come from there. The figure i is taken from Temminck’s type specimen in the Leiden Museum, while the description is from a fine skin procured by Mr. Wallace in the Aru Islands, kindly lent to me out of his collection. CEYX MELANURA. CEYX MELANURA. (LILAC-SPOTTED KINGFISHER.) Ceyx melanura, zs . - Kaup, Fam. der Eisy, p. 15 (1848). Dacelo ce : - : Schl. Mus Pays Bas, Alced. p, 49 (1863). C. capite et uropygio lilacino: rostro corallino: macula ad latera colli eeeruleé: tectricibus alarum nigris ceruleo maculatis: major: capite lilacino obseuré maculato; interscapulio et scapularibus rufis: pectore pulchré violaceo lavato. Hab. in insulis Philippinis. Above lilac-rufous, the head and cheeks obscurely spotted with faint lilac; scapu-, laries rufous, a line of black feathers at the base; a patch of feathers on the sides of the neck blue; wing-coverts black, the tip of each feather spotted with bright blue; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web rufous from the base; tail above rufous, the exterior feathers blackish; a loral spot very faint orange; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers under the before-mentioned blue spot on the sides of the neck, white; breast shining lilac tinged with violet; centre of the abdomen whitish; under wing and tail- coverts light rufous; bill and feet rich coral red. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1.2, from gape 1.6, wing 2.1, tail 0.7, tarsus 0.05, middle toe 0.09, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Philippine Islands (Mus. R. B. Sharpe). Luzon: Manilla (Mus. J. Gould.) This beautiful species was described in 1848 by Kaup under the rather inapplicable epithet of melanura or black-tailed. I have not employed the latter name for my English designation of the present bird, as I do not consider this to be its most distinguishing characteristic. It may always be distinguished from the other two rutous-headed species by the faint lilac spots on the crown of the head and cheeks. As regards the black ‘tail, I have observed that in very young individuals this feature is apparent, but in older speci- mens the black becomes limited to a few marks on the exterior webs of the outer tail- feathers, and I should not be surprised to learn that the fully adult bird has the tail en- tirely rufous. A very fine pair in Mr. Gould’s collection from Manilla have scarcely any black on the tail. This peculiarity I have also noticed in the Penang Kingfisher (Ceyx rubra). Ina specimen from Penang in Mr. Wallace’s collection the tail-feathers are quite black, while a bird in my own collection has the tail rufous without any black on the fea- thers at all. It remains to be seen whether this is a sexual difference, or a sign of the young bird, a question I have not been able satisfactorily to determine. ~ Additional References.—Ceyx melanura.—Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 59 (1848); id. Gen. of Birds, App. p. 5 (1848); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 158 (1850); Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 9 (1851); Cass. Cat, Hale. Phil. Mus. p, 13 (1852); Cab, and Heine, Mus, Hein, th. II, p. 151 (1860), Sharpe, P.Z.S, 1868, p, 271, I have hesitated to add the habitat ‘‘ Ambonia” to the present species, as I fear that that locality has been erroneously assigned to the specimen in the Philadelphia Museum, as recorded by Mr. Cassin (/. ¢). Nothing has as yet been published concerning the habits of this beautiful little King- fisher, but they are doubtless similar to those of the other members of the genus Ceyz. The figure in the opposite plate is drawn from a very fine specimen from Manilla, kindly lent me by Mr. Gould, and I have taken the description and measurements from the same bird. a. Se, eso hl aan = o PAS YL File CEYX TRIDACTYLA. CHYX TRIDACTYLA. (PENANG KINGFISHER.) Alcedo tridactyla . . Pall. Spic. Zool. vii, p. 10, t. I, fig. 1 (1769). Ceyx tridactyla . P Sykes, P. Z. 8. 1832, p. 84. Alcedo rubra A : Bodd. Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 49 (1783). Ceya rubra. : ; Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 59 (1848). Dacelo rubra : ‘ Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 49 (1863). Alcedo purpurea. 7 Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 449 (1788). Ceyx purpurea. : Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 38 (1831). Alcedo erithaca . . Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 449 (1788). Ceyx erythaca : . Blyth, Cat, Birds Mus. As. Soc, Beng. p. 50 (1849). » luzoniensis . F Stephens, Gen. Zool. xiii, p. 106 (1825). » microsoma . : Burton P. Z. 8. 1837, p. 89. Martin-pecheur de Visle de Lugon, Sonn. Voy. Nouv. Guin. p. 67, pl. 32 (1776). Martin-pecheur de Pondicherry, Buff. pl. Enl. 778, fig. 2. gh Dein-ngyeen, of the Arracanese (Blyth). Raja Whodan, of the Malays (Zyton). re a 2 4 5 ee Se : ks = - = 5 rite, _C. capite et uropygio lilacinis: rostro corallino: macula ad latera colli cexrulea: minor: interscapulio et scapularibus nigris, cyaneo lavatis : subtus flava. eS Hab. in regione Indica. Head and nape rufous, tinged with lilac; upper part of the back, scapularies and i} __ Additional references.—Alcedo tridactyla, Linn. Mant. Plant. p. 524 (1771), Scop. Del. Faun. et Flor. Insubr. II, p. 90 (1786). Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 459 (1788), Dacelo rubra, Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 40, 68, 16 (1864). Cey« tridactyla, Strickl. P. Z. 8. 1846, p. 99, Gray and Mitch, Gen. of Birds, I p. 80 (¢. 1844), nm, Ill. Ind. Orn. pl. 25 (1847), Gray. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 59 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, pp. 157, (1850), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 13 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854), Hartl. Journ. f. n. 1854, p 413, Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 269, Jerd. Birds of Ind. I, p. 229 (1862), Gray, Cat. Mamm, and ; of Nep. p. 24 (1863), Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 271. Ceyx erythaca, Mason, Burmah, p. 674. Ceyw urea, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 9, t. ecexeviii, fig. 3071 (1851), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Ceya ureus, Hartl, Journ. f. Orn.1855, p. 423. wing-coverts, black washed with bright blue; lower part of the back, rump and upper tail- coverts, rufous washed with bright lilac; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web rufous from the base; tail rufous, in some specimens black; a spot in front of the eye, cheeks, sides of the neck and under-surface of the body, pale orange; chin and a patch of feathers on the side of the neck, white; a spot at the base of the bill and a patch of feathers at the side of the neck from above the ear, blue; bill and feet coral-red; eyes brown. Total length 5. 3 inches, of bill from front, 1.2, from gape 1.6, wing 2.3, tail 1, tarsus 0.2, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.2. Hab. India and Ceylon (Jerdon), Nepal (Hodgson), Penang (Cantor), Singapore (mus Philad.), Sumatra (mus. Lugd ), Java (mus. Brit.) Philippine Islands (Cuming, mus. Brit.). In an elaborate article published by Dr. Pucheran in the ‘‘ Revue et Magazin de Zoologie” for 1861, this learned Ornithologist endeavours to prove that in accordance with the strict observance of the rule of priority, the name ¢éridactyla should be applied to the red-backed species (Ceya rujidorsa). It seems that both species were well known to the older authors, all of whom were wont to consider the red-backed bird as the female or else a variety of the blue-backed species. The first mention of the two birds is found in an old work of Vosmaer’s published at Amsterdam in 1768, where a figure of both birds is given. It is pretty clear that Linnezus in describing the bird in his ‘‘ Mantissa” simply copied Vosmaer’s description without apparently ever having seen the bird. Dr. Pucheran had only a French translation of Vosmaer’s work at hand when he wrote his paper, and he argues that, as both birds were known to Vosmaer and Linnzeus, by whom they were considered to be sexes of the same bird, the blue-backed species having been separated by Gmelin in 1788 under the name of Alcedo purpurea, the name tridactyla should fall on the supposed female. To the casual observer this reasoning appears fair enough, but the Zoological Society have lately acquired a copy of the original edition of Vosmaer’s work, and I was rather astonished to find on examination that the Dutch author was not a binominalist and never gave a scientific name to any bird. Dr. Pucheran is again in error when he talks of the bird being first described by Linneus and afterwards by Pallas, as the 12th fascicule of the latter’s ‘‘ Spicilegia” has a priority of two years over the ‘‘ Mantissa” of Linneus and as Pallas gave a very clear description of the present species under the name of Alcedo tridactyla, this name ought to be applied to the blue-backed bird. Vosmaer’s work need not be taken into consideration at all, as it contains no scientific names. The red-backed species, considered by Pallas to be probably the female of his Alcedo tridactyla, was described as a distinct species for the first time by Mr. Strickland in 1846, under the name of C. rujidorsa. ‘* This very lovely species,” writes Mr. Jerdon, in his ‘‘ Birds of India,” ‘‘ is scattered though far from common, over all India with Ceylon. Col. Sykes procured it in the Deccan; but it secms to be a coast bird for the most part. I obtained it in Southern India and it has been killed near Calcutta. It appears to be more common in Malayana. It feeds exclusively on small fish and aquatic insects.” The Penang Kingfisher is undoubtedly the most widely distributed species of the whole genus, being found all over the Indo-Malayan Islands, and itis even met with in the Philippines. The British Museum contains a beautiful specimen obtained in these islands, by the late Mr. H. Cuming, and the Leiden Museum has also a young bird from the same locality. My description and measurements taken from a very beautiful male in my own collection from Penang, and the figures represent a pair of birds in the Leiden Museum. The left hand figure, it will be observed, has a red tail, while the tail of the right hand bird is blackish. This difference may be sexual or the sign of a young bird, and I incline to think myself it is an indication of immaturity. . L 7 ' « . ‘ 4 ’ CEYX RUFIDORSA CE e RUPFLEDORS A, (STRICKLAND’S KINGFISHER.) Alcedo tridactyla, var. ‘ : 5 : Shaw, Gen. Zool. viii, p. 97, (1811). Ceyx tridactyla : : : 7 : Jard. and Selby, Ill. of Orn. I, pl. 55, fig. 2. » rufidorsa é : , i i Strickl. P.Z.S. 1846, p. 99. Dacelo ,, = Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced, p. 48 (1863). Chuchack-wrang, of the Javanese (Horsfield). Binti-abang, of the Malays cf Sumatra (Raffles). C. capite et uropygio lilacinis: rostro corallino: macula ad latera colli caruleé nulla: scapularibus lilacino- tufis : tectricibus alarum rufis nigro-mixtis. Hab. in regione Indo- Malayana. Above lilac-rufous, tinged on the sides and back of the head, and on the back with shining violet; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web rufous from the base, more conspi- cuous on the secondaries, which are almost entirely rufous; throat and a patch of feathers on each side of the neck, white, tinged with light orange; a loral spot (very faintly developed), cheeks and the entire under-surface bright orange; bill and feet coral-red. Total length 4.7 inches, of bill from front 1.2, from gape 1.09, wing 2.2, tail 0.8, tarsus 0.05, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Malacca (Cantor), Sumatra (Mus. Lugd.). Bangka (Mus. Lugd.), Java (Mus. Lugd.) Bawian Island (Hartlaub), Lombock (Wallace), Sumbawa (Mus. Lugd.), Flores (Wallace), Borneo (Motley). As I remarked in my description of the Penang Kingfisher, I was led into error with regard to the present species, supposing that Dr. Pucheran was well acquainted with Additional references.—Ceya rufidorsa, Gray, Gen. of Birds, App. p. 5 (1848), Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 50 (1849), Reich. Handb. p. 8, t. ecexeviii, fig. 3070 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 13 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. p. 1854, p. 413. Horsf. and Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co. p. 132 (1854), Moore, P. Z. 8S. 1854, p. 270, Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 152 (1860), Scelater, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 213, Wall. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 484, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 271. Dacelo rufidorsa, Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 40, 67, pl. 16 (1864). Vosmaer’s work, or at least with his nomenclature. I regret that the name dridactyla was printed on the plate, before I could countermand the order. Mr. Strickland and Mr. Moore both call attention to a blue spot on the sides of the neck of the present bird, which they say is not so much developed as in C. tridactyla, but I cannot find any blue spot at all, though I have examined many specimens. The violet shades on the side of the head are certainly more brilliant just by the ear, but any blue spot, like that so conspicuous in the allied species C. tridactyla and C. melanura, seems to me to be always wanting. The tiny spot on the forehead is much less developed than in C. tridactyla, and is indeed occasionally absent. The entirely rufous upper surface will always distinguish it from all other species of the genus. The late Mr. Motley says* that in Borneo, the present species is ‘‘ not uncommon, frequenting the small streams in the woods, and making its nest in holes in banks.” For the following very interesting note I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Wallace:—‘‘ This beautiful little bird is not uncommon in Malacca and the large western islands of the Archipelago in low dry or swampy jungle, but generally near some stream or lake. Often while searching after other birds, its rapid chirping note would be heard, and it would dart by, appearing more like a small flame ox fire than a living thing. It eats small insects which it picks from the ground, darting upon them as an ordinary Kingfisher darts upon a fish.” The only other notice of the habits of the present bird appears in Schlegel’s ‘- Museum,” where the author gives a few notes on Javanese birds from the pen of the Viscount de Bocarmé. This nobleman observes:—‘‘ In Java, it is only met with in secluded places, along the most shaded creeks, and where the banks are obstructed. It is very rarely observed flying along the surface of the water; its habits being to remain on the same branch the whole day, whence it looks out for water-spiders. If one can approach it unobserved, without frightening the bird, it may be seen to precipitate itself twenty times a minute on the swarms of these insects, which are often very numerous.” I have a specimen in my collection, purchased of a dealer, and said to come from Singa- pore. Lord Walden, who has had great experience in Oriental birds, thinks that the ‘‘ make” of the skin indicates its origin from Camboja. It is both larger and brighter than the Malaccan birds. The following are the measurements of this specimen. Total length 5.1 inches, of bill from front 1.4, from gape 1.7, wing 2.4, tail 1, tarsus 0.05, middle toe 0.09, hind toe 0.2. The figure in the accompanying plate is drawn from a Bangka specimen in the Leiden Museum, while I have taken the description and measurements from a skin in my own collection, procured in Flores by Mr. Wallace. eP. Z. S. 1863, p. 213. CS —— CEYX SHARPE. Pee. OH AR PIT. (BORNEAN KINGFISHER). Ceyx Sharpii : ; rf : Salv., Atti R. Acead. Tor. 1869, p. 463. va 99 : : d ; - . ; Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1869, p. 511. C. capite et uropygio lilacinis: rostro corallino: macula ad latera colli ccerulea nulla: scapularibus lilacinis : tectricibus alarum nigris ac rufis, ceyaneo lavatis. Hab. in insula ‘ Borneo’ dicta. Above most brilliant lilac-rufous, with violet reflections ; scapularies lilac-rufous, the innermost black, forming a distinct black stripe; wing-coverts black, the least coverts for the most part rufous, and edged with a distinct line of blue spots ; quills jet black, the inner web pale rufous at the base, the innermost secondaries entirely of a pale rufous colour ; tail rufous ; a spot at the base of the bill deep blue black, very distinct : the feathers round the eye also black ; space between the bill and the eye glistening yellow ; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck white ; entire under surface rich orange-yellow, darker on the flanks and under wing-coverts ; bill and feet rich vermillion. Totallength 4.7 inches, of bill from front 1.4, from gape 1.6, wing 2.3, tail 0.9, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.15. Hab. Sarawak, Borneo (Doria). This Kingfisher, which Count Salvadori of Turin has named after me, is cer- tainly very closely allied to some of the other rufous-backed species of the genus Ceyx, but nevertheless seems to differ specifically from all of them. To Ceyx Dill- wynnt it approaches in having the wing-coverts edged with blue, but differs in having rufous scapularies. Again it is nearly allied to C rufidorsa, but is to be distinguished from this also by the blue spots on the wing-coverts, and by the black line along the inner scapularies, neither of which characters obtain in the Malayan species. In addition to these differences Ceya Sharpii far surpasses all the other rufous-backed Ceyces in the extreme brilliancy of the colouring. : I am indebted to the kindness of Count Salvadori for lending the type-specimens, of which a figure and description is given in the present article, and I beg leave publicly to return him my best thanks for his consideration CEYX DILLWYNNI. eer VEEL WYNNI. (DILLWYN’S KINGFISHER.) Ceyx Dillwynni. : : : Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1868, pp. 591, 593 et, 1869, p. 511; Salv. Atti R. Accad. Torin. 1869, p. 461; Gray, Hand-list of B. p. 94. Ceyx tridactyla : 5 : F Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 8, t, eccciii b. fig. 3389 (1851); Motley aud Dillw. Nat. Hist. of Lab. p. 13 (1855). ©. capite et uropygio lilacinis: rostro corallino: maculd ad latera colli ceruled nulla : scapularibus nigris ceeruleo lavatis. Hab. in insulé “ Labuan” dicta. Head, neck, and the whole of the back lilac-rufous, with beautiful shades of violet ; a little spot on the forehead at the base of the bill, blue ; a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck, white; scapularies black, washed with bright blue; wing- coverts rufous varied with black, with a few minute spots of bright blue at the tips of some of the median coverts; quills blackish, the inner web light rufous at the base, more conspicuous on the secondaries, the outer web of the first primary rufous for the greater part of its length ; tail rufous, black at the tip; chin and abdomen white; shoulders, upper part of the breast, flanks, under wing- and tail-coverts, rufous; bill and feet coral-red. Total length 5°8 inches, of bill from front 1°5, from gape 1°5, wing 2°45, tail 12, tarsus 0°25, middle toe 0°4, hind toe 0°2. Hab. Labuan (Motley and Dilhvyn). In examining the ‘‘ Handbook” of Professor Reichenbach I was struck with the ficures he had given of the bird he calls Ceyx tridactyla, and I could not quite reconcile them with any species of Kingfisher with which I was then acquainted. They were apparently intended to represent two Bornean specimens in the Dresden Museum. The absence of the blue spot at the side of the neck sufficiently proved that they were not intended for Ceyx melanura or Ceyx tridactyla, while at the same time they evidently were not Ceya rufidorsa, of which a figure had already been given in the work. The Bornean bird had blue Scapularies, which at once precluded the idea of its being identical with the last-named bird, which has rufous scapularies uniform with the back. In Messrs. Motley and Dillwyn’s “ Natural History of Labuan,” (/c.) I found a corroboration of my idea of the distinctness of the Bornean Kingfisher. In this work the bird called Ceya tridactyla is said to be ‘‘ above from the beak to the tail, rufous red ;” but has ‘‘the scapulars dusky black, tipped with rich blue.” In reply to my enquiries, Mr. Dillwyn most kindly sent for examination the specimen which had formed the subject of the description in the above-mentioned work, and I fonnds as I ae that it 5 perfectly distinct, and I therefore named it with much pleasure after Mr Berea done so much to increase our knowledge of Bornean Ornitholo Ceyx Dillwynni is allied to Ceya rufidorsa, but is a little larger, and may a distingaridh aa “4 the blue scapularies. : The description, measurements and figure are from the type-specimen, which kindly presented to me by Mr. Dillwyn. CEYX CAJELI. Oy x; CALE ES. (BOURU KINGFISHER). Ceyx cajeli, . : Wall. P. Z. 8. 1863, p. 25 pl..v. Dacelo., : : Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp 39, 67, pl. 16 (1864), Ned. Tidschr. 1866, p. 339. C. capite nigro, cyaneo maculato: dorso postico et uropygio argenteo-ceruleis: rostro corallino, breviori : genis et regione parotica nigris. 9 ” &, ” Hab. in insula dict& ‘ Bourw’ maris Celebensis. Crown of the head and wing-coverts black, with very minute spots of clear blue, each feather having a central streak of brighter colour; back silvery blue; scapulars and tail black; wing-feathers black, the inner web light reddish near the base; a loral spot light orange; a patch of feathers on each side of the neck white tinged with orange; throat white; under-part light orange, deeper on the flanks; a considerable patch of feathers on the sides of the upper part of the breast, black; bill and feet pale coral red; eyes dark. Total length, 5.5 inches, of bill from front 1.2, from gape 1.6, wing, 2.5, tail 1, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.9, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Bouru ( Wallace.) This interesting bird is one of the discoveries that we owe to the indefatigable energy of Mr. Wallace, by whom it was first named in his paper on the ‘ Birds of Bouru,’ (/. c.). It may easily be distinguished from all the other species of the genus by the very small spots on the head, black cheeks, and the pecular silvery blue on the back. The bill is also shorter and stouter than in any of the allied species. Mr. Wallace, says :— ‘‘This species 1s very like C. /epida ; but differs in the very small spots on the head and the stripe on the back being of quite a different blue colour, and also in the scapulars being entirely black, whereas in the other species they are tipped with rich blue. I have named this species after the town or fort of Cajeli in Bouru, to which island this pretty bird is most probably strictly confined.” I am further indebted to Mr. Wallace for the following note, which he has kindly for- warded to me for the present work ;— ** Ceya cajelt inhabits swampy thickets in Bouru, feeding on water-insects and minute fish, which it captures in pools and ditches.” Schlegel (/. c.) says he has received the present species from Matabello and the Sula Islands, collected by Rosenberg, but I have not seen specimens, and it seems doubtful whether a variety of lepida has not been mistaken for this bird in the former instance, while the bird from the Sula Islands is certainly quite different. The figures represented in the plate are drawn from the type specimen, kindly lent me by Mr. Wallace, from which also I have taken my description and measurements. CEYX WALLACEI. CEYX WALLACILI (WALLACE’S KINGFISHER. ) Ceyx Wallacti, : ; Sharpe, P. Z. 8. 1868, pt. 2. ., lepida, : : Wall. P. Z. 8. 1862, p. 338. C. capite nigro cyaneo maculato : rostro corallino, longiori: genis cum regione parotic& cyaneo maculatis : seapularibus nigris: dorso postico et uropygio leté cyancis. Hab. in insulis dictis ‘‘ Sula’? maris Celebensis. Above black; head and nape spotted with cobalt, more on the latter, each feather having a central stripe of brighter blue; cheeks and wing-coverts streaked with bright cobalt ; back very rich shining cobalt, the upper tail-coverts slightly tinged with ultra- marine; scapularies black; wing and tail-feathers blackish, the inner web of the former light rufous from the base; throat whitish; a spot on each side of the base of the bill and the whole of the under-surface bright orange; the characteristic spot on the sides of the neck deep rufous; a line at the base of the loral spot, also the space between this spot and the eye, and a large patch of feathers on the side of the upper part of the breast deep black; bill and feet coral-red; iris dark. Total length 5.5 inches, of bill from front 1.4, from gape 1.7, wing 2.5, tail 1, tarsus 0.2, middle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Sula Islands ( Wallace). The present species was described by me at a meeting of the Zoological Society on May 14th, 1868, and was named after Mr. Wallace, to whom I am indebted not only for many valuable notes by which these pages are enriched, but for the loan of his entire collection of Kingfishers, thus enabling me to describe the new species discovered by him in almost every case from the type specimens themselves. It was in examining his collection that I met with the present bird, which I believed to be new to science, and recent experience has fully confirmed my conviction, for shortly after describing it, I discovered two more specimens in the British Museum, likewise from the Sula Islands. I extract the following note from my paper in the ‘ Proceedings,’ which will illustrate the points in which the present species differs from C. lepida. ‘““Tts nearest ally is certainly C. lepida, but it is at once to be distinguished by the cobalt instead of ultramarine (or rather violet) tinge of the blue on the head, cheeks and back, as well as by the totally black scapularies, which in C. lepida are washed with bright violet. The patch of feathers on each side of the neck is also dark rufous, instead of white tinged with orange, as in C. /epida, and there are other minor differences.” Mr. Wallace in his paper on the ‘Birds of the Sula Islands,’ refers to this bird as C. lepida, but he had noted the differences existing in the two birds, and it was by an oversight that the present species was not described as new on that occasion. The figure in the accompanying plate is drawn from the type specimen, from which also the description is taken. = i i ee ey o = a a ee |? re, © _ —— ae s. ~~ & we - ae ae . Lane ‘ ‘ CEYX LEPIDA. CHYX LEPIDA. (BEAUTIFUL KINGFISHER.) Ceyx lepida, A ‘ ; Temm. Pl. Col. 595. Aleyone lepida, ; . Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I. p. 82 (c. 1844). Dacelo lepida, : : é Schl. Mus. Pays, Bas, Alced. p. 48 (1863). C. capite nigro, ceruleo maculato: rostro corallino, longiori, robustiori: genis et regione paroticd czruleo maculatis: dorso ultramarino, uropygio cyanescente : major: maculis loralibus majoribus: capitis summi maculis et interscapulio cerulescentioribus. Hab. in insulis dictis ‘‘ Ceram,” ‘‘ Amboina,” et in Nova Guinea australi et australi- occidentali. Head, nape, cheeks and wing-coverts black, plentifully spotted with rich ultramarine, each feather having a central stripe of brighter blue; scapularies black, washed with rich ultramarine; back very bright ultramarine, becoming silvery-blue towards the rump ; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web rufous from the base; tail blackish, tinged with ultramarine; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers on the side of the neck white, the latter tinged with orange; a large spot in front of the eye, and the entire under- surface orange, paler on the abdomen; bill and feet rich coral-red. Total length 5.5 inches, of bill from front 1.5, from gape 1.7, wing 2.5, tail 1, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.2 Hab. Amboina (Wallace), Ceram (Wallace). South and South-West Coast of New Guinea (Wallace, von Rosenberg). Specimens of the present species from the above localities have been brought to Europe by Mr. Wallace, but the bird is by no means common in collections in this country. Mr. Wallace tells me that ‘‘it is the most abundant and characteristic species in the Moluccas. Its habits resembles those of Ceya rujidorsa, Strickland.” I have taken my description and measurements from a very beautiful bird in Mr. Wallace’s collection, procured by him in Northern Ceram. The left hand figure is drawn from Temminck’s type specimen in the Leiden Museum, while the right hand one represents the Ceramese bird. Temminck’s specimen is evidently a younger bird. Additional References.—Ceyx lepida, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 59 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I. p- 158 (1850), Reich. Handb. _C. capite nigro, ceruleo maculato: dorso postico ultramarino: uropygio leté argenteo: scapularibus czruleo lavatis: minor: subtus intensé aurantiaca. Hab. in insulis dictis ‘‘ Batchian,” ‘‘ Gilolo,” ‘‘ Ternate,” maris Celebensis. Crown of the head black, minutely spotted with ultramarine, each feather having a very faint stripe of cobalt down the centre; scapularies black, faintly washed with ultramarine ; back ultramarine on the upper part and on the upper tail-coverts ; rump silvery-blue, with a tinge of greenish in some lights; wing-coverts black, tipped with ultramarine; wing feathers blackish, the inner web rufous at the base; tail black; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck white, the latter slightly tinged with orange; a spot in front of the eye pale orange; under-surface of the body with the under wing and tail-coverts very deep orange; bill and feet coral-red. Total length 5.5 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.7, wing 2.4. tail 0.9, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Batchian, Gilolo, Ternate ( Wallace). This Kingfisher is very closely allied to Ceyx lepida, from which indeed it is hardly separable. It differs chiefly in its smaller size, brighter back, and in the more intense orange of the under parts. My figure is taken from a female specimen, which on compa- rison I found to be absolutely identical with the type in the British Museum. Specimens from Batchian and Gilolo are the same as those from Ternate. As I have mentioned in my paper on the genus ‘ Ceyz,’ published in the Zoological Society’s ‘‘ Proceedings,” I have not been able hitherto to determine satisfactorily a species brought by Mr. Wallace from Batchian and Gilolo; I have never seen a specimen from Ternate. This Kingfisher does not agree exactly with Ceyx uropygialis, or Ceyx lepida. To a casual observer, it would appear to be a young bird, but it is larger than Ceyx uropygialis, and is decidedly different from young specimens of Ceyx lepida in my collection. 1 have seen at least half-a-dozen examples of this undetermined species in different collections in this country, all from Batchian or Gilolo, and they all present the same characters. The blue of the back is never so bright as in Ceyx lepida, with which, however, it corresponds in size. In the very deep orange colour of the breast it agrees with Ceya uropugialis, but the back is not so bright as in this last named species. I think that on the arrival of more specimens I shall be able to characterize the Batchian bird as new, but as our knowledge of the ornithology of the Moluccas is still so limited, I prefer to consider it at present a variety of Ceyx uropygialis. ae 2 ee ee a. ee se a »./T , _—_ Py ree thy Send « OS IET ag a: CEYCOPSIS FALLAX. emeCoUPSIS PALL AX. (DECEPTIVE KINGFISHER.) Dacelo fallax, j : : : 3 ; ; Schl. Ned. Tidschr. 1866, p. 187. Ceycopsis fallax, . . : 2 : d : Saly. Atti, R. Accad. Sci. Tor. 1869, p. 447. C. supra rufescens: pileo ultramarino et lilacino transfasciato: dorso postico et uropygio fuscescente nigris, eyaneo layvatis: tectricibus alarum superioribus rufis lilacino maculatis: remigibus fuscis externé rufo lavatis: subtus rufa: gutture et strigd longitudinali ad latera colli albis: rostro et pedibus corallinis. Hab. in insula ‘Celebes’ dict&é maris Moluccensis. Crown of head dusky-red, barred with ultramarine and lilac; no distinguishable loral spot, all the space between the base of the beak and the eye being rufous; cheeks and sides of head rufous with a brilliant lilac lustre; nape of the neck and middle of the back rufous; scapularies dusky rufous; lower part of the back and rump fuscous-brown washed with cobalt; tail fuscous-brown; wing coverts dull rufous spotted with lilac; wing-feathers fuscous-brown, the inner web rufous from the base towards the tip, the outer web of-.the secondaries rather broadly edged with dull rufous; throat and a patch of feathers along the side of the neck white; rest of the under-surface of the body orange-rufous, with a beautiful peach coloured lustre on the breast; billand feet vermilion. ‘Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1.25, from gape 1.6, wing 2.3, tail 0.8, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Celebes (von Rosenberg). This remarkable Kingfisher was first made known to science by Professor Schlegel (Lc.), from specimens forwarded by MM. von Rosenberg, and Renesse van Duivenbode, from the island of Celebes, which, as pointed out by Mr. Wallace, possesses a fauna of its own. The discovery of this bird is a further confirmation of the truth of Mr. Wallace’s assertion, for it is generically distinct from all other Kingfishers, though ex- hibitmg a certain affinity towards the genera Ceye and Ispidina. From both of these, however, it is casily distinguished by the form of its bill, which is much depressed and has a perfectly straight culmen with a gradually ascending gonys. This peculiarity is shewn in the accompanying plate. The fact of its having tour toes at once separates it from the genus Ceyx, while it also differs from Jspidina in having the imner toe much shorter than the outer one. Professor Schlegel states, that ‘this very rare little species is found on the borders of the crecks in the mountainous parts of the island of Celebes.’ Beyond this nothing is known respecting it. I must here return my hearty thanks to Count Turati of Milan, who most kindly sent over a specimen of this Kingfishe> from his magnificent collection, for the use of the pre- sent work, thus enabling me to give a figure and description of the species. ‘This is only one of the many acts of “kindness for which I am indebted to this nobleman, who has lent me several others of his rarest Kingfishers. ‘ =# < =v v per, ISPIDINA MADAGASCARIENSIS- ISPIDINA MADAGASCARIENSIS. (MADAGASCAR KINGFISHER). Ispida madagascariensis, ; : : Briss. Orn. IV, p. 508, pl. xxxviii, fig. 1 (1760). . Aleedo os F ; : ; Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 179 (1766). Ispidina és - : : : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 13 (1852). Dacelo 5 ; : 3 - Schl. P. Z. S. 1866, p, 421. Dacelo ruffulus . : ‘ " : Lafr. Rey. Zool. 1838, p, 224. Martin pecheur de Madagascar, 3 : Buff. Pl. Enl. 778, fig. 1. I. supra lilacino-rufa ; subtus albida: genis, hypochondriis et torque pectorali lilacino-rufis, Hab. in insula “ Madagascar ” dicta. Upper surface of the body rufous, with here and there a slight lilac lustre; wing- feathers blackish, the inner web light rufous from the base, the outer web edged with rufous, more especially on the secundaries which are almost entirely of the latter colour; throat, a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck extending backwards middle of the abdomen, and under tail-coverts, white; cheeks, and sides of the body, rufous; under wing-coverts pale rufous ; bill and feet coral red. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1.0, from gape 1.4, wing 2.3, tail 1.0, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Madagascar (Brisson, Newton, and Van Dam.) So rare is this little Kingfisher in collections, that it has been till lately only known from Buffon’s figure in the “ Planches Enluminées.”” Many Ornithologists, including Mr. Jerdon and the late Prince Bonaparte, have considered that this figure as well as Brisson’s Additional references.—Alcedo madagascariensis, Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 81 (c. 1844), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 159 (1850). Ispidina madagascariensis, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 86, id. Faun, Madag. p. 30 (1861), Roch and Newton, Ibis, 1862, p. 271. Dacelo madagascariensis, Schl. and Poll, Faun. Madag. Ois. p. 59 (1868). description refer to the Malaccan Ceyx rufidorsa. Mr. Strickland, however, pointed out in 1846 that Brisson’s species had four toes and therefore could not be a Ceyz. The present species seems to be entirely confined to Madagascar, and even in this island appears to be very rare. Messrs. Roch and Newton have mentioned it in the “‘ Ibis” (d.c.) and remarked that ‘a specimen was obtained by us in the great forest of Alana-masaotra on the 27th of October, 1861—the only one seen.” Messrs. Pollen and Van Dam (/.c.) state :—“* This species is very rare in the parts of Madagascar we explored. We only observed it once, namely on the 15th of August, in the forest near the village of Ambany-alla. It appears that these birds only frequent the forests as is indicated by their name ‘‘ Bintsi-alla’”’ which means Kingfisher of the Forest. Their manner of living is unknown to us; the only thing we noticed was that in hopping from one branch to another a little hissing note was heard.” I have taken the description and measurements from a specimen procurred in Mada- gascar by Mr. F. Plant, and kindly lent to me by the Viscount Walden. ISPIDINA LEUCOGASTRA. ISPIDINA LEUCOGASTRA. (WHITE-BREASTED KINGFISHER.) Halcyon leucogaster, ; : : : Fraser, P. Z. 8. 1846, p. 4. Alcedo leucogaster, . ‘ : - : Kaup, Verh. Nat. Ver. Darmst. 1848, p. 75. Alcedo leucogastra, . : ‘ 4 5 Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 64 (1848). Corythornis leucogastra, . : ; ; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854). Ispidina leucogastra, ; : . , Reich, Handb. Alced. p. 6, t. ecexcv, fig. 3056 (1851). I. dorso leeté ultramarino: pileo nigro, ultramarino fasciato: abdomine albo. Hab. in Africa occidentali. Head black, banded with ultramarine; back and scapularies rich ultramarine; wing- feathers blackish, the inner web light rufous from the base, the exterior web of the secundaries faintly edged with ultramarine; tail ultramarine above, black beneath; a patch of feathers in front of the eye extending backwards over the eye, cheeks, ear-coverts and sides of the neck bright rufous; a patch of feathers along the side of the neck, throat and middle of the body white; sides of the body and under wing-coverts bright rufous; bill sealing-wax red; feetred. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1.4, from gape 1.7, wing 2.4, tail 1.0, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. Hab. Fernando Po (Fraser), Gaboon (Du Chaillu, Verreaux), Ashantee (mus. R. B. Sharpe) Gold Coast (mus. Lugd.), Sierra Leone (mus. J. Gould). This is the largest of the [spidine, and from its more compressed bill and piscivorous habits, seems to approach the genus Alcedo. Mr. Louis Fraser, whose name is well known Additional references.—Halcyon leucogaster, Allen and Thomps. Exp. Nig. II, p. 503 (1848), Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 (c. 1844). Alcedo lewcogaster, Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 13 (1848), Fraser, Zool. Typ. pl. 32 (1849), Strickl. Contr. to Orn. 1851, p. 134, Jard. Mem. of Strickl. p. 331 (1858), Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 15 (1863). eee ee ee HALCYON COROMANDA. Le martin pécheur violet des Indes . Alcedo coromanda . Halcyon coromandus Dacelo coromanda . Haleyon coromanda Callialeyon coromanda , Callaleyon coromanda Haleyon coromandeliana Dacelo coromandeliana Halcyon coromandelianus Halcyon coromandelicus Halcyon coromander Halcyon coromanda minor Aleyon calipyga Haleyon lilacina Callalcyon lilacina Haleyon Schlegel: . Halcyon coromanda major Dacelo coromandeliana major . Haleyon rufa (RUDDY KINGFISHER.) Sonn. Voy. Ind. II, p. 212, pl. 118. Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 252 (1790, ew. Sonn.); Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soe. XIII, p. 174 (1822); Hadf. Zool. 1857, p. 5795. Steph. Gen. Zool. XIII, p. 100 (1826). Less. Traité d°Orn. p. 246 (1831). _ Gray, Cat. Mamm. & B. of Nep. p. 56 (1846); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 55 (1852); Gray, Cat. Mamm. & B. of Nep. p. 24 (1863). Reich. Handb. Alced. p, 15, t. eceev, fig. 8092 (1851). Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 55 (1848); Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 126 (1854); Swinh. Ibis, 1863, p. 259; id. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 333; id. Zool. 1863, p. 8747 ; Beay. Ibis, 1867, p. 319. (pt.) Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 25 (1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 24, 56, pl. 8 (1864). Bulger, Ibis, 1869, p. 155. Vig. App. Mem, Rafil. p. 654 (1830). Blyth, Cat. B Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 47 (1849), Temm. & Schl. Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 76 (1850). Hodgs. in Gray’s Zool. Misc. p. 82 (1831). Swains. Classif. of B. I], p. 335 (1857); Bonap. Consp, Gen. Avy. I, p. 156 (1850); Motl. and Dillw. Nat. Hist. of Lab. p. 13 (1855); Sclater, P.Z.S. 1863, p. 213. Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854) Bonap. Consp. Gen, Av, I. p. 156 (1853). Temm., and Schl. Faun. Jap. Av. p. 75 (1850). Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 25 (1863). Wall. P.Z.S. 1862, p. 338. FI. rostro toto rubro: pulchré lilacina: dorso postico leté cyaneo. Hab. in regione Indo-Malayana, in insula “Celebes” dicta, et in insulis Japonicis. General colour rufous, glossed everywhere with brilliant lilac; lower part of the back and rump white washed with cobalt, and somewhat tinged with lilac; chin white; rest of the under surface of the body pale rufous, washed with lilac on the breast, inclining to butf on the belly. Hab. Along the foot of the Himalayas in Nepal and Sikim, in the Sunderbuns and along the east of the Bay of Bengal (Jerdon); Teesta River, Sikim (Bulger); Andaman Islands (Tytler, Beavan); Penang (mus. R.BS.); Malacca (mus. R. Swinhoe); Java (Horsjield); Banjermassing (Motley); Labuan (Motley and Dillwyn); Philippme Islands (mus. Lugd.); Formosa (Swinhoe); Japan (Siebold); Celebes ( Wallace). This species has been called Halcyon coromandeliana by most ornithologists, as they have supposed that the Alcedo coromandeliana of Scopoli was founded on Sonnerat’s 118th plate. A close examination of the text, however, shows that this is not the case, and I do not think I can more clearly state the facts than by giving an extract from the last letter addressed to me on the subject by Lord Walden, whose skill in determining the - descriptions given by the older authors is well known to all ornithologists. I quote as follows :— “In the ‘Specimina Zoologica’ of Scopoli occur some of the most curious and flagrant inaccuracies to be found among the older authors. Alcedo coromandeliana, Scop. No 53, is described from Sonnerat’s 119th plate, Guepier jaune de la céte de Coromandel, notwithstanding that Scopoli quotes p. 212, t. 118, where the description and plate of the ‘Coromandel Kingfisher’ of Latham are given. The odd thing, too, is that Scopoli classes it rightly among the Kingfishers. After the specific description of his so-called Alcedo coromandeliana comes what he terms the ‘character generis’ of the species. This, you will find, is taken from the introductory remarks of Sonnerat on the affinities of the Bee-eaters to the Kingfishers (Voy. Ind. p. 213). But what is more odd still is, that Scopoli further on (No. 66) gives another title to Guepier de la céte de Coromandel, calling it Certhia lutea, and quoting the page and plate correctly. The subject of Sonnerat’s 119th plate is of course a xanthonism of Merops viridis. Latham quotes both of Sonnerat’s plates correctly—Pl. 118 is his Alcedo coromanda, and Pl. 119 Merops coromandus.” ‘“‘ Scopoli made a similar kind of blunder under his title of Muscicapa malabarica (Dissemurus). In the diagnosis he correctly describes Sonnerat’s 111th plate, but the more detailed description is of Sonnerat’s next species, Grobe-mouche a longue queue de Gingi — Turdus (Kittacincla) macrourus (Gm.).” From the above reasons it follows that the name of H. coromandelianus (Scop.) must be rejected, and the name of H. coromanda (Lath.) must be retained. Of course it is difficult at this period of time clearly to make out the exact locality from whence Sonnerat’s bird really came, but I believe it most likely to have been from Malacca; on the coast of Coromandel it certainly never occurs. Taking, therefore, the small form which is distributed throughout the Indo- Malayan sub-region as the type of the species, we may apply the name of H. coromanda to the bird found throughout all these countries. In Japan a slightly larger form occurs, which has been separated by Bonaparte as H. Schlegeli, while in Celebes a still larger form is found, differing also in the extreme brilliancy of its colours. This is the H. rufa of Wallace. It will be seen that I do not award specific rank to either Haleyon Schlegeli nor to H. rufa, as they are at best only larger races of the ordinary Indo-Malayan H. coromanda, nor have I arrived at this conclusion without a careful consideration of the subject, and after an examination of the finest series of Ruddy Kingfishers ever brought together in any one country in the world, my own collection alone containing no less than fourteen specimens from all localities. In addition to this, I was enabled through the kindness of Mr. Wallace Mr. Swinhoe, and other friends, to take with me for comparison with the fine series at Leiden all the specimens contained in their cabinets, so that on arriving at the Leiden Museum [ had before me at least forty examples from every locality where the species has yet been met with. In size the Japanese Ruddy Kingfisher is slightly superior to the ordinary form of Halcyon coromanda, found throughout the Indo-Malayan sub-region, and the general colora- ‘ i tion is somewhat duller, but it is impossible to draw any exact line of demarcation, for the Formosan bird ought, according to its size, to be ranked as intermediate between the birds from Japan and Celebes, though it has the dull colour of the former instead of the bright coloration of the latter sub-species. The Philippine Ruddy Kingfisher is also dull-coloured. _ The sub-species from Celebes is the most brilliant of all the Ruddy Kingfishers, and has the reddish colour of the under surface continued right up to the throat, and has also the blue of the lower part of the back much more extended, but neither of these characters, though sufficiently distinct in the adult, are thoroughly constant, and every gradation can be found. In the Celebean sub-species, certainly, the extent of the red on the throat increases with age, and, judging from the material I have examined, it is the case with the Indo-Malayan bird also. In the young plumage the breast is barred and the back-streak is almost entirely white, while in the older birds this becomes brilliant cobalt, having occasionally a slight lilac tinge. The colours fade on exposure to the light. The following measurements clearly show the relative size of these sub-species:— 2) S. 8 Name. Sex. Locality. Long tot. Rostr. Ale. Tarsi 1 | Halcyon coromanda} ad. | Penang. (mus R. B. S.)| 10-0 2-3 4-2 0-5 2 ‘n es ad. |Malacca.(mus R.Swinhoe.)| 9-3 21 4-7 0°35 3 Pi . oS | Sumatra. (mus BR. B. S.)| 10-0 2-1 Ae] 0-5 4 in z P Sumatra. ( Wallace.) 9-0 2.1 3-8 05 5 . a ad. Labuan, (Motley). 10-0 21 4-0 0-5 6 A - ad. Formosa. (Swinhoe.) 100 2-3 5-0 05 7 rf fr ad. Japan (Siebold).* 10°5 22 Ae? 0:5 8 . a juy. Japan (Siebold).* 10:0 Sa | 4-6 0-5 9 he ss é Macassar. (Wallace).{ | 11-0 24 =| 4-7 0°55 = 10 o - & Menado. (Fraser). 10-0 2-4 43 0:55 * Types of H. schlegeli. t Type of H. rufa. In India its range is thus given by Dr. Jerdon (/.c.) :— “This lovely Kingfisher is found along the foot of the Himalayas, in Nepaul and Sikim ; also in the Sunderbuns, and along the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal. I much doubt if it has been found in the south of India, albeit named from the Coromandel coast. ] obtained one specimen from the banks of the Teesta River in Sikim, and Mr. Blyth has seen it en route from Calcutta to Burdwan.” It appears to be a rare bird in Sikim, where it was obtained by Captain Bulger, who observes (/.c.) :— . “T only obtained one specimen of this most lovely bird, from the Teesta River, and the Shikaree regarded it as a great prize. The amethystine lustre of its plumage is wonderfully beautiful, rendering it, in my opinion, the handsomest of the whole family.” _ Mr. Swinhoe informs us that this species ‘appears to be resident in Formosa, inhabit- ing the lakes and rivers of the interior of the island, but is by no means common.” In the Andaman Islands it is a common bird, according to Colonel Tytler. The late Mr. Motley, so well known for his researches into the economy of Bornean birds, writes as follows :— “The habits of the Labuan Kingfishers appear to be much alike ; they feed almost entirely at sea, and although many of the brooks abound with small fish they are very seldom to be seen far from the beach. A person walking along the shore at high water may often see them dart out of the jungle and dash into the water, seize their prey, and carry it off again among the trees. ‘They never perch on stones or bare branches over the water, like the European species.” - The description is taken from a Penang specimen in my collection, of which the hinder figure in the plate is a representation. The front figure in the plate represents the type of Saleyon rufa, and is taken from the specimen in Mr. Wallace’s collection, which he kindly lent to me. om : . : or al Pays 2 i ah i Lt eit aa teins ‘ta yy gs A i ee an ee atl. ptyalieed ioe Via Ents) Aly As ‘: wha silt yu MSS yy j : f th _ L 2th Fei tule to db: Gat 5 , weak (ie ts isan b val x a hina ae GP Py ps fa Evil reer ONE ai! y feun fey bat 2 HALCYON BADIA. i tl i ee TE ae ell ll mat Y ON BADTA. (CHESNUT KINGFISHER.) Halcyon badia, c ; ; : Verr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 264. Dacelo badia, . . : . Schl. Mus. Pays Bas. Alced. p. 28 (1863). Halcyon cancrophaga? . ; ; Strickl. Contr. Orn. 1851, p. 134. H. rostro rubro: cauda longiori: pileo castaneo-rufo: minor: scapularibus castaneis: subtus omnind alba. Hab. in Africa occidentali. Above chesnut red; wing coverts black, tinged with chesnut; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web whitish from the base; the spdondaries rich blue near the base, forming a broad band across the wing ; lower part of the back, upper tail coverts and upper surface of the tail rich cobalt, the latter with a black band along the tip, under surface blackish ; cheeks and sides of the neck deep chesnut; entire under surface white ; bill and feet deep vermilion red. Total length 7.5 inches, of bill from front 1. 5, from gape 1.9, wing 3.7, tail 2.3, tarsus 0.4, middle toe 0.6, hind toe 0.8. Hab. Sierra Leone (mus J. Gould), Gaboon (Verreaux), River Ogobai (Du Chaillu). This very distinct species of Halcyon belongs to the chesnut headed group, containing Hi. fusca, H. gularis, and H. badia. From both of these allied species the present bird may be easily distinguished by its smaller size, chesnut scapularies, and entirely white under- surface. The Messrs. Verreawx in their original description state that this Kingfisher is ‘‘ very rare in the forests of Gaboon, where it feeds on insects.” To Mr. Gould I am indebted for a present of the bird, from which the description is taken, while the figure is drawn from the only specimen in the Leiden Museum. This from the markings on the breast appears to be immature. Additional References.—Halcyon badia, Hartl. Journ. f. Orn, 1854, p. 3, id. Orn. Westafr. p. 33 (1857), Miiller, Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 8, Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1859, p. 34, Heine, Journ, f. Orn. 1860, p. 187, Hartl. Journ, f. Orn. 1861, p. 105, Du Chaillu, Equ. Afr. p, 472 (1861). — — * fF ae See es ee ee — eS “SISNANYAWS NOADTVH HALCYON SMYRNENSIS., (WHITE-BREASTED KINGFISHER.) Martin-pecheur de la cote de Malabar : : : Buff. Pl. Enl. 894. Alcedo smyrnensis . ‘ : : : : : Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 181 (1766.) Haleyon smyrnensis : E d : : : Steph. Gen. Zool. XIII, p. 99 (1826). Dacelo smyrnensis . . ‘ : , : . Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 246 (1831.) Entomothera smyrnensis . : : ; C : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 13 (1851.) Entomobia smyrnensis . : : : E , Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. I], p. 155, note (1860.) Alcedo fusca . - . ; 2 3 , 4 Bodd. Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 54 (1783.) Entomothera fusca . , ; : ; : : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 12, t. cceciv; fig. 3088-89 (1851.) Entomobia fusca. : é : : ; : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 155 (1860.) Dacelo fusca . ; , ; : : : : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 28 (1863.) H. rostro toto lete rubro: pileo rufo-castaneo: dorso postico leetissimé viridi-cyaneo : scapularibus viridi cyaneis: gutture et pectore medio albis. Hab. in parte australi regionis Palearctice et in tota regione Indica. Adult, Entire head and neck rich chesnut ; back and scapularies vivid greenish cobalt, brighter on the rump ; least wing-coverts chesnut, lesser ones black, greater coverts black, edged with deep greenish blue ; primary coverts rich cobalt ; quills black, white at the base, the basal half of the outer web of the primaries and the whole of the outer web of the secondaries rich cobalt ; tail bright cobalt above, black beneath ; entire throat and chest, as well as the edge of the wing-joint, pure white ; sides and lower part of the body deep chesnut ; bill coral-red ; feet vermillion ; eyes brown. Additional references.—Alcedo smyrnensis, Gm. S. Nat. I, p. 457 (1788), Var. y. Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 248 (1790), Bon et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 286 (1823.) Alcedo smyrnensis, Eyton, P.Z.S. 1839, p. 101, Maclell. P.Z.S. 1839, p. 156, Vigne, P.Z.8. 1841, p. 6. Haleyon smyrnensis, Sykes, P.Z.S. 1832, p. 84; Strickl. Ann. Nat. Hist. 1842, p. 443; Gray, Gen. of B. I. p. 79 (1846); id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 55 (1848); Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 47 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 155 (1850) Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 6. (1852); Burgess, P.Z.S. 1852, p. 28; Moore, P.Z.8. 1854, p. 268; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 125 (1854) ; Phillips, P.Z.S. 1857, p. 67; Swinh. P.Z.8. 1863, p. 269; Jard. Mem. of Strickl. LI, p. 316 (1858) ; Adams, P.Z.8. 1858, p. 474; Swinh. Ibis. 1860, p. 49; Mason, Burm. p. 674 (1860); Swinh. Ibis, 1861, p. 31; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 227 ; Day, Land of Perm. p. 460 (1863) ; Tristr. Ibis, 1866, p. 86; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 348 ; Beav. Ibis, 1867, p. 819. -Alcedo fusca, Martens, Journ f. Orn, 1866, p. 18. Zaleyon fusca, Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846); id. Cat. Fis. Brit. Mus. p. 55 (1848) ; Bonap. Consp. Av. I, p. 155 (1850); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 6 (1852); Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. p. 125 (1854); Beav. Ibis. 1865, p. 409 ; Pelz. Voy. Noy. Vig. p- 49 (1865) ; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 348. Dacelo fusca, Heugl. Orn. N. O. Afr. I, p. 188, (1869). A a paces,” Iw. ¥ HALCYON GULARIS. mou ON GULARIS. (WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER.) . Grand Martin-pécheur de Madgascar . Buff. Pl. Enl. 232. Alcedo smyrnensis, var.b. . ‘ . Gm. Syst. Nat, I, p. 456 (1788). Alcedo gularis. ; : . ‘ Kuhl, Buff. and Daub. Fig. Av. Col. Nom. Syst. p. 4 (1820). Halcyon gularis . : : , Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846); Kaup, Monogr. Alced. p. 8 (1848); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 155 (1850); Gould, B. of Asia, part XIII (1861). Entomothera gularis . ; : y Reich, Handb. Alced. I, p. 13, t. ceeci, fig. 3082 (1851). Entomobia gularis : . : : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 155 (1360). Alcedo rufirostris . E , : : Kittl. Kupf. Vig. p. 10, t. 14, fig. 2 (1832); Meyen, Beitr. p. 94 (1834). : Alcedo melanoptera : . 3 F Temm. Tabl. Meth. p. 75 (1836 nee Horsf.). Haleyon ruficollis d ; : ; Swains. Classif. of B. IT, p. 335 (1837). Haleyon smyrnensis var, albogularis . Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1843, p. 998; et 1844, p. 394. Halcyon fusca . ‘ : : : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 6 (1852, nec Bodd). . Alcedo fusca ; : : : ; Martens, J.f.0. 1866, p. 16; et Preuss. Exp. p. 189 (1867, nec Bodd), Hi. pileo et abdomine castaneis: gutture circumscripté albo. Hab. in insulis Philippinis. Head and neck dark chesnut ; back and scapularies cobalt, especially bright on the rump; wing-coverts jet black; the edge of the wing white; primary-coverts cobalt; quills black, the inner web white at the base, the outer web, especially of the secondaries, bright cobalt; tail cobalt above, black beneath; throat pure white; cheeks, ear-coverts, and rest , of the under surface of the body deep chesnut, with a few blue feathers on the lower part of the flanks ; bill and feet rich coral-red. Total length 9°5 inches, of bill from front 1:3, from gape 1-6, wing 4°8, tail 2:9, tarsus 0°4, middle toe 0°65, hind toe 0°3. Hab. Philippine Islands (mus. R.BS.) ; Luzon (Kittlitz). The figures which accompany this article sufficiently illustrate the differences between the present bird and its nearest ally, the White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis). The trivial names which | have selected also serve to characterize the two species, and I may add that, besides the difference in the extent of wliite on the throat, the Philippine bird is altogether darker in plumage. It is now generally admitted that the old authors were in error when they assigned Madagascar as the habitat of the present species. There can, indeed, be little doubt on this point, and the discovery of its true habitat removes an obstacle which might, if not thus summarily dispelled, have qualified very materially the conclusions we are now accustomed to draw as to the zoological affinities of the fauna of Madagascar. Specimens of Halcyon gularis are in many European museums from the Philippine Islands, to which locality I believe the species to be confined. A bird is in Heine’s Museum said to be from China, but I have little doubt that the skin was imported from the Philippines. The description and figures are taken from a specimen in my own collection. Mr. Gould also possesses an example of the species obtained in the vicinity of Manilla, from which the beautiful figure in the ‘ Birds of Asia’? was drawn. Kittlitz procured both the- present species and Halcyon chloris in Luzon, and says that in their habits the two birds exhibited some forcible differences. The latter, he states, lives on crustacea and is a constant denizen of the sea-shore. The present species, however, is common wherever the shore is overgrown with trees, and is found right into the interior even in the wooded mountains. Its food consists of large insects, lizards, and small mammals, such as bats, &c.; perhaps sometimes of fish, as the bird is often seen near fresh water, where it takes the place of our European Kingfisher, although Kittlitz says that he himself never found any remains of fish in the stomachs of those he killed. It also affects woods and fields interspersed with high trees, where it lives solitary. Its flight and cry are somewhat similar to those of Ceryle alcyon, but it does not jerk its tail like the latter bird, which, Kittlitzs considers to be a true Kingfisher. c Fs . =a ne HALCYON CYANOVENTRIS. HALCYON CYANOVENTRIS. (MANY-COLOURED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo cyanoventris ; : . . Vieill, Nouv. Dict. d"Hist. Nat. XTX, p. 412 (1818). Halcyon cyanoventris . : . ; : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 6 (1852). Entomobia cyaniventris s : : : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. II, p. 154 (1860). Alcedo melanoptera : . - : : Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. XIII, p. 174 (1822). Halcyon melanopterus . , ; , : Steph. Gen. Zool. XIII, p. 100 (1826). Entomothera melanoptera . ; : : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 14, t. cecciv, fig. 8087 (1851). Dacelo melanoptera : ‘ - ° : Schl. Mus, Pays Bas, Alced. p. 27 (1863). “ Alcedo omnicolor, Reinw.” 5 5 F Temm., Pl. Col. 135 (1823). Dacelo omnicolor . = : . < F Less, Traité d’Orn. p. 247 (1831). Halcyon omnicolor 3 5 F 4 7 Swains. Classif. of Birds, II, p. 3385 (1837). Haleyon multicolor : ° : . Kaup, Fam, Hisy. p. 8 (1848), Tengke-wrang of the Javanese ( Horsfield). H. rostro toto leté rubro: pileo nigro: dorso postico ultramarino: nuché gulaque rufis: abdomine cyaneo, Hab. in insula “Java” dicta. Head and nape jet black, washed with ultramarine on the latter ; back and scapularies beautiful rich cobalt, deepening in intensity on the rump and having a green lustre in cer- tain lights; the whole of the wing-coverts jet black, except those bordering the carpal bend which are washed with blue; primary-coverts rich greenish cobalt : quills blackish, the inner web for the most part pure white, the outer web, especially of the secondaries washed with greenish cobalt; tail cobalt above, black beneath; chin whitish; cheeks black, tinged here and there with rufous; throat, upper part of the breast, and a collar round the neck, deep rufous, the former spotted here and there with ultramarine ; entire under surface of the body very rich ultramarine ; under wing coverts black ; bill and feet dark red; eye dark brown. Total length 10 inches, of bill from front 2.4, from gape 2.7, wing 4.7, tail 3.0, tarsus 0.45, middle toe 0.8, hind toe 0.4. Hab. Java (Horsfield, Wallace). Additional references.—Alcedo cyanoventris, Bon, et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 396 (1823). Halcyon cyaniventris, Gray, Handl. of B. p. 91 (1869); Halcyon melanoptera, Gray, Gen. of Birds. I, p. 79 (1846); id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1848); Horsf. and Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 127 (1854); Dacelo mela- noptera Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind., Alced. pp. 22, 55, pl. 9 (1864): Haleyon omnicolor, Hartl. Verz. Mus, Brem. p. 13 (1844); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 155 (1850), Gould ; Birds of Asia, pt. xii (1863). This beautiful Kingfisher comes from Java, to which island it seems to be entirely confined. It is by no means a common bird in collections, and little is known of its habits and general economy. Mr. Wallace has with his usual kindness given me his experience of the present species during his residence in Java, as follows :— “Tris dark brown ; bill and feet coral-red ; length of a fresh specimen 103 inches. I found this species in East Java frequenting the banks of streams shaded by forest. It often perched high up on the branches, but in other respects resembled our own Kingfisher in its habits.” Y I have already referred to the very interesting notes on Javanese birds by the Vicomte de Bocarmé, published by Professor Schlegel in his “Catalogue.” The following observa- tions of this nobleman are extracted thence :— “In Java it is frequently observed on the dry hedges in the rice-fields, where it is continually pouncing on earth-worms, crabs, little fish, molluscs, &c. It likweise devours snails with their shells. It is also found in the stunted copses of thorns and bamboo. In the forenoon during the months of January and February, the male, perched on the top of a tree, utters his call-note, ‘‘tai-tai-tai-i-i-i”; to his affectionate greeting the female arouses herself, leaps high into the air, and replies with an answering cry, “cri-tri-tri-i-i.” I took two eggs of this bird in May, in a hole dug im the earth which filled a cleft in the rock ; their form is round and their colour white. Its flight is sluggish, and it is accustomed often to settle on the ground.” I should be ungrateful were I to close this article without recording my sincere obliga- tions to my kind friend Mr. W. J. Fraser of Soerabaya, who has taken a great deal of trouble to procure me specimens of Javanese Kingfishers. Of the present species he has sent me home several in spirits which I hope to turn to good account when the anatomy is considered. In one of his letters he informs me that unlike Alcedo beryllina, which is found on the sea-coast, Halcyon cyanoventris is only met with inland. The description, measurements, and figure are from a beautiful skin purchased of Mr. G. Adolphe Frank, junior, who in his capacity as a Natural History Agent has been instru- mental in procuring me many rare species of Kingfishers. se” 4 HALCYON PILEATA. —— Se Fj HALCYON PILEATA, (BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER. ) Alcedo pileata . ; Bodd. Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 41 (1783). Halcyon s p : Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I. p, 79 (c. 1844). Entomothera ,, : 3 Reich. Handb, Alced, p. 15, t. eccci, fig. 3080-81 (1851). Entomobia - f : Cab. Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 155 (1860). Dacelo i : : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas. Alced. p. 27 (1863). A atricapella : Less, Traité d’Orn. p. 246 (1831). Alcedo a : . Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 453 (1788). és brama, : Less. Cent. Zool. pl. viii. (1830). 5s puella, : “ Krelling,’’ Reich. Journ. f. Orn, 1854, p. 149. Martin-pecheur de la Chine. Buff. Pl. Enl. 673; Udang, Malay (Blyth) ; Burong-udang, Malays of Sumatra (Raffles). H. rostro toto rubro: cauda longiori: pileo nigro: dorso ultramarino: nuché et gulé albidis: abdomine flayescente-rufis. Hab. in regione indica. Head and cheeks, the upper portion of the back below the collar, shoulders, and | wing-coverts, black; back, scapularies, upper surface of the tail and the outer web of the secundaries and primaries, except towards their end, rich ultramarine; the basal half of the inner web of the primaries white; the terminal half of the wing-feathers and the under surface of the tail, blackish; throat, upper part of breast, and a collar behind the neck, white, with tinge of tawny on the latter two; abdomen and under wing-coverts fine rust-colour, deeper on the flanks; bill coral-red; eye dark brown; feet red. Total length 11.5. Length of bill from front 2.2, from gape 2.6, wing 4.9, tail 3.3, tarsus .4, middle toe .8, hind toe .4. Hab. Ceylon (Layard), India (Jerdon), Andaman Islands (Beavan), Burmah (Beavan), Siam (Schomburgk), Cochin (Day), China (Swinhoe), Tenasserim (Briggs), Malay Pen- sinsula (Cantor), Sumatra (Kreling); Borneo (Wallace), Phillipines (Mus. Lugd.). Additional references.—Halcyon pileata, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1848); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus, p. 5 eel Dacelo pileata, Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 22, 54, pl. 9 (1864); Alcedo atricapilla, Lath. Ind. Orn. I. p. 251 (1790), Shaw, Gen. Zool. viii. p. 70 (1811), Bon. and Vieill. Encl. Meth. I. p. 289 (1823); Halcyon atricapilla, Pelz. Voy. Nov. Nog. p. 49 (1865); H. atricapillus, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii, p. 99 (1825), Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 47 (1849), Horsf. and Moore, Cat. Birds Mus, E. I. Co. I. p. 124 1854, Gould, Birds of Asia, pl. —(1860). I have followed Professor Schlegel in referring Scopoli’s name albiventris, which has been generally considered by Ornithologists to be a synonym of the present species, to the African Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon fuscicapilla). For, as Professor Schlegel remarks, Sonnerat described many African species, even the Secretary, as coming from the Phillipine Islands. It will, moreover, be seen by reference to Sonnerat’s original description and figure,* and to the description by Scopoli,° that the bird represented by them has a brown head and back, a whitish mark before the eye, and each of the breast feathers marked with a central line of brown; characters which it will be seen by a glance at the figure in the plate opposite, are totally inapplicable to the present species. All these points, however, are characteristic of the African bird. The geographical range of H. pileata is rather extended. Mr. Blyth (1. c.) gives its habitat as ‘‘ Eastern side of the Bay of Bengal; rare on the western; Bengal Sundarbans; ~ Malayan Peninsula and Archipelago; China.” In the latter country, Mr. Swinhoe says,° it is a resident species from Canton to the Yangtze, but rare in the neighbourhood of Amoy.* The Chinese use the feathers for manufacturing fans, as do also the Siamese, according to Sir Robert Schomburgk. The Black-winged Kingfisher was also met with at Hong-Kong by the Novara Expedition. Herr Von Pelzeln, to whom we are indebted for a scientific account of the results of this Expedition, has published (J. ¢.) the following note by Herr Zelebor :— “Tt was met with on the 10th of July at Shek-Pei-Wen in a small clump of trees, in which was a spring. The cry of this bird was like that of the European Great Spotted Woodpecker.” Captain Briggs forwarded some specimens of the present bird to Mr. Gould,* from Tavoy in the Tenasserim provinces, and Captain Beavan, in his paper on the ‘‘ Birds of the Andaman Islands,”* gives a note of Colonel Tytler’s to the effect that the bird is common there. I have in my own collection three specimens from Malacca, and Mr. Moore, in his valuable essays on the collection formed by Dr. Cantor in the Malay Peninsula,® observes, ‘* Tt would appear to be tolerably common at Pinang, where this species was collected.” The following are Mr. Jerdon’s notes on the present bird, taken from his ‘** Birds of India :”’— ‘* This fine Kingfisher is found but very rarely in India and Ceylon. I once obtained a specimen, which | shot myself, at Tellicherry on the Malabar Coast: and I have seen others from the same locality. It is also rare in Bengal, but has been killed as high up the Ganges as Mongyr; it is more common, however, in the Sunderbuns, and on the Burmese Coast, as far as the Malay Peninsula and Islands, extending eastward to China. It appears to prefer wooded countries near the sea, or mouths of large rivers. It is said to feed both on fish and on insects, and has a harsh crowing call.” Mr. Layard observes," ‘‘ This lovely Kingfisher has but once fallen under my notice as an inhabitant of Ceylon. The specimen in question was shot in the Jaffna district in the island of Valenny. I know nothing personally of its habits.” Mr. Gould has given a beautiful illustration of the present species in his ‘ Birds of Asia,” concerning which Mr. Blyth, in his commentary on Jerdon’s ‘ Birds of India,” ! remarks, ‘‘In Mr. Gould’s figure in the Birds of Asia, the bili should be deeper and bright coral-red; and the head in the living bird looks considerably larger, while the body-feathers are more compressed.” I have now before me a specimen collected at Sarawak by Mr. Wallace, which has the bill a little shorter and stouter, and the under parts more richly coloured than my Malacca specimens, though in the measurements of the wings and tail they agree exactly. a. Voy. Novy. Guin. p. 65. pl. 31. b. Del. Faun. et. Flor. Ins. 11. p. 90. ce. P. Z. 8. 1863, p. 269. d. This, 1860, p. 49. e. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 150. f. Ibis, 1867, p. 314. g. P. Z. S. 1854, p. 268. h. Ann. Nat. Hist. 1858, p. 171. ~ 4. Ibis, 1866, p. 348. 2 92 . HALCYON ERYTHROGASTRA. HALCYON ERYTHROGASTRA. (ST. JAGO KINGFISHER). Alcedo senegalensis, var.g. . : ; : - Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 456 (1788). Alcedo senegalensis, var.a. : ; ? : Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 249 (1790). Alcedo senegalensis, var c. : : : : : Bon. et Vieill. Enc, Meth. I, p. 283 (1823). Alcedo erythrogaster Haleyon erythrogaster Halcyon erythrogastra Haleyon erythroryncha Halcyon jagensis ” ” Halcyon rufiventris chs 9 Dacelo rufiventris Alcedo caucrophaga Temm. Tabl. Meth. p. 75 (1807). Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846). Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 282. Gould, P.Z.S. 1837, p. 22, et Voy. Beagle, Birds, p- 21 (1841). Darw. Voy. Beagle, I, p. 2 (1839). Bolle, Journ. f. Orn. 1856, p. 23. Bolle, Journ. f. Orn. 1857, p. 319 (nec. Sw.). Bocage, Jorn. Acad. Lisb. I, p. 134 (1866), Keul. Ned. Tijdschr. III, p, 366 (1866, nec Sw.). Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 4 (1844, nec Lath.). I. rostro toto rubro: pileo albescenti: major: coloribus purioribus. Hab. in insula ‘ St. Jago’ dicta. Adult. Entire head and neck albescent, purer on the sides and back of the neck; middle of the back and scapulars deep black, the basal part of the latter white ; lower part of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts brilliant ultramarine, with a slight fringe of cobalt here and there; tail ultramarine above, black beneath, the feathers edged with black on the upper surface ; wing-coverts brown, mixed with black ; quills dark brown, white at the base, the base of the outer web of the primaries and nearly the whole outer web of the secondaries bright ultramarine, tinged in some lights with lilac: throat and breast pure white ; rest of the under surface of the body, with the under wing- and tail-coverts, deep sienna ; bill and feet rich sealing-wax red. Total length, 9:0 inches ; of bill from front, 18 ; from gape, 2°1; wing, 4:0 ; tail, 2:7 ; tarsus, 0°45 ; middle toe, 0°65 ; hind toe, 0:3. Young. Similar to the adult, but has the belly dull red and a few markings on the breast; bill brownish-red, becoming brighter near the base; edge of carpal joint sandy red ; no lilac on the wing; and the bases of the scapulars, which are white in the adult, are dusky-grey. Hab. St. Jago, Cape de Verde Islands (Darwin, Keulemans). This is, I believe, a good species, and distinct from the Halcyon semicerulea of Forskiil from the continent of Africa. It is to be recognised by its larger size, whiter head, and generally purer and more brilliant coloration. The beak is also appreciably longer and stouter, and in the young stage the bird from St. Jago never has the black markings on the breast so thickly distributed as in the continental species. Mr. Keulemans, who visited the Cape de Verde Islands with Dr. Dohrn in 1863 and 1864, procured a large series of this lovely bird, and he has very obligingly given me the following extracts from his notes on its habits:— ‘This Kingfisher is a native of the Cape de Verde Islands, and is rare in the northern but common in the southern islands. There is no difference in size in the adult birds, but young ones are considerably smaller. In colour the male and female resemble each other, but the wing-coverts of the latter are less black, and the tip of the primaries brownish black. In the young birds the colour of the bill is brownish-red, yellow at the tip, the legs rufous, and the plumage generally less beautiful; they have also very little red on the under parts, the flanks alone being of this colour. When the young leave the nest the have no red at all, and the feathers of the head and breast are striped and banded with grey; the red under parts appear gradually, but not by moulting.” - “* Halcyon erythrogastra is the only Kingfisher inhabiting the Cape de Verde Islands, and it is very commonin St. Jago. There itis very tame, and can be approached quite closely with- out difficulty. When flying up, it utters a note something like that of the Common Kestrel (Tinnunculus alaudarius ), and this is termed ‘laughing’ by the inhabitants. Its food consists of large insects, lizards, mice, and young birds. It breeds in December and January, and builds its nest generally in holes under the roots of large trees. The native name is Pas- serinha.”’ ‘*] shall never forget a scene I once witnessed in connexion with this bird. Dr. Dohrn and myself had paid a visit to Cidada Velha, the old capital of St. Jago, and had to pass a night in that quarter of the island. A recent drought had exhausted the country, and provisions and lodgings were almost impossible to obtain. We entered an old and dilapidated hut, and endeavoured to make ourselves comfortable for the night. Sleep was impossible, for it rained in torrents, and through one of the many openings in the roof the water fell on my face and body rendering me completely miserable, so that I determined to get up so soon as the first streak of daylight appeared. Day dawned at last, and I sallied forth. The rain bad ceased and the morning was calm and fresh, so with my gun in my hand I entered the ruins of an old Portuguese church, by the side of a mountain torrent, a little way from the town, and took my seat on a stone, waiting for the sun to rise. Throughout the interior of the church the long grass grew to a height of three or four feet and was all wet with the dew and the rain of the night before, while on the damp walls dozens of lizards (Gecko) were crawling. Occupied with my thoughts I sat still for some time when my attention was aroused by a fluttering of wings, and looking up I caught sight of a Kingfisher in the act of tearing a lizard from the wall. Presently another entered, then another, and another, till at last the church was full of them, a continual stream of Kingfishers entering and departing through the open windows and the holes in the roof. The opportunity for collecting was too good to be lost and I secured many specimens, but neither the noise of my gun nor the fall of their companions deterred the remainder from entering the church and procuring their food. So unsuspicious of harm is this bird that I often threw a stone at one, and the only notice it took was to turn its head if the stone went near to it. As the sun rose I went outside, and there the whole place was full of Kingfishers also, busily engaged in hunting for lizards among the wet herbage and ruins, The sight made a great impression on my mind, as hitherto I had only known the species as a solitary bird sitting throughout the daytime by itself and rather sluggish in-its habits than otherwise.” The plate is drawn from a sketch taken from life by Mr. Keulemans in St. Jago. The descriptions of the adult and young are also taken from birds procured by the same gentle- man, the adult being in my own collection and the young in the Leiden Museum. HALCYON SEMICARULEA. HALCYON SEMICHRULEA. (AFRICAN WHITE-HEADED KINGFISHER.) Martin-pécheur bleu et noir de Senegal. : . Buff. Pl. Enl. 356. Orab-eating Kingfisher, var. c. ‘ z 5 : Lath. Syn. I, p. 619 (1783, ex Buff). Alcedo senegalensis, var.d. . : : ‘ : Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 456 (1788, ex Buff). Alcedo senegalensis, var. 7. : : : : ; Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 249 (1790). Alcedo senegalensis, var. b. . : é : : Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 283 (1823). Alcedo semicerulea . d : : , : é Forsk. Descr. Anim. p. 2 (1775). Halcyon semicerulea 5 4 : : ‘ : Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 23 (1845). Cancrophaga semicerulea < é : ; , Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Alcedo leucocephala : : : : : : Miiller, Syst. Nat. Suppl. p. 243 (1776). Haleyon leucocephala : ‘ 3 : 3 F Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 90 (1869). Dacelo acteon : : : : é : : Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 247 (1831). Haleyon Swainsonii : : : : : ; Smith, 8. Afr. Q. Journ. 1836, p. 143. Haleyon rufiventer : 2 : : " , Swains. B. of W. Afr. II, p. 101, pl. 12 (1857). Cancrophaga rufiventris . ; : i 2 ; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). H. rostro toto rubro: pileo sordidé albescente: minor: coloribus absoletioribus. Hab. in parte septentrionali et occidentali regionis A.thiopice. Male, Head and neck greyish white, purer on the latter, the head showing the shafts of the feathers rather strongly ; back and scapulars and wing-coverts glossy black; lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts rich glistening cobalt ; primary-coverts cobalt shaded with black ; quills black, the inner web white for more than half its length, the outer web, especially of the secondaries, broadly edged with brilliant cobalt, extending nearly the entire length of the latter, but confined to the base of the former, where it has a faint lilac tinge ; tail above brilliant cobalt, shading into black on the edge of the feathers, the underside Additional references.—Alcedo semicerulea, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 467 (1788); Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 297 (1823); Riipp. N. Wirb. p. 28, t. 24, fig. 1 (1835). Halcyon semicerulea, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. . 53 (1848); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 155 (1850); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. I, p. 153 (1850); Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 11, t. ceccii, fig. 3083 (1851); Sclater, Contr. to Orn. 1853, p. 124; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 128 (1854); Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 18 (1856); Hartl. Orn. West Afr. p. 33 (1857); id. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 104; Heugl. Ibis, 1859, p. 340; id. Peterm. Mitth. 1861, p. 21; Antin. Cat. Ucc. p. 28 (1864); Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 331; Hartl. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 88; Mont. P. Z. S. 1865, p- 94; Hartm. Journ. f. Orn. 1866, p. 201; Bocage, Journ. Acad. Lisb. p. 134 (1867); Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 282; Gray, Handl. of B. I., p. 90 1869; Blanf. Zool. Abyss. p. 322 (1870); Finsch & Hartl. Orn. Ost. Afr. . 160 (1870). Dacelo semicwrulea, Heugl. Orn. N. O. Afr. p. 190 (1869). Alcedo leucocephala, Cass. Proc. Acad. il. 1864, p. 243. Halcyon Swainsoni, Gray, Gen. of B. I. p. 79 (1846) ; Layard, B. of S. Afr. p. 63 (1867) ; Haleyon rufiventer, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 155 (1860); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 9 (1852); Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 8. Halcyon rufiventris, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 10, t. ececii, fig. 8083-84 (1851) ; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. I, p. 153 (1860); Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 332. deep black ; cheeks, throat, and breast white ; rest of the body with the under-wing and tail- coverts deep sienna ; bill and feet sealing-wax red. Total length 8°0 inches, of bill from front 1°6, from gape 1°95, wing 4°3, tail 1:4, tarsus 0°45, middle toe 0-7 hind toe 0°3. Female. Similar to the male, but the colours duller and the head more dusky. Young. Similar to the adults, but the colours much more dingy, those parts being blackish-brown which in the adult are jet-black ; head uniform ashy ; back of neck, cheeks and entire breast dirty white, thickly crossed with transverse brown vermiculations ; throat and abdomen white, flanks and under wing-and tail-coverts tinged with sienna; the blue on the wings and back dull ; bill dark red, black at the base. Hab. North-Eastern Africa as high as 16° North Lat. (Heuglin), Yemen, South Arabia (Forskiil), West Africa, Senegal (Swainson), Casamanze ( Verreaux), Port Besja (mus. Brit.), Sierra Leone ( Verreaux), Goree ( Verreaux), River Volta (Ussher), Lagos (mus. J. Gould), Gaboon (mus. Brem.), Angola (mus. Lisb.), Benguela (Monteiro), Ondonga, Ovampo Land (Andersson). Compared with Halcyon erythrogastra from the Cape Verde Islands, the present species is generally smaller, has the head not nearly so pure white, the general tone of the plumage is more dusky, and the white on the wing when extended is more conspicuous than in the insular species. In the young birds there is a decided difference, for in addition to the smaller size, the young Halcyon semicerulea has the hinder neck and breast much more thickly barred than in Halcyon erythrogastra. I noticed this difference particularly in the Leiden Museum, which contains specimens of the young of both species. I subjoin a few measurements in order to show the larger size of the bird from St. Jago. It will be noticed that the latter has the shorter wing, though it is the largest bird:— No. | Name. Sex. Locality. Long tot. Al. Cand. 1 |Z. semicerulea 6 |N.E. Africa, mus. R. B. S. 8-0 4:3 2°5 2 - 2 * " 8.0 4:3 2°5 | 3 ~ Abyssinia 8-0 4:2 2°4 | 4 |H.erythrogastra| @& |St. Jago, Keulemans 9:0 4:1 2°7 Little has been recorded respecting the habits of H. semicerulea. Mr. Blanford (/.c.) writes as follows respecting it, as observed by him during the recent expedition to Abyssinia :—“‘ Iris brown, bill and legs scarlet. A purely insectivorous bird, rarely seen near water, and occasionally found in dry portions of the jungle. It occured about Ailet and Ain at the base of the hills, and was also seen in the Anseba Valley.” The notes of Mr. Jesse, the Zoologist attached to the above Expedition, are the following :—“ First procured by Mr. W. T. Blanford at Ailet, and afterwards by both of us from Ain to the Anseba river during July and August. Saw old birds carrying food in their beaks, but could not discover the nest. Note, a noisy chatter in a rapid diminuendo. Insectivorous. I did not meet with this species anywhere else during my stay in Abyssinia.” Dr. von Heuglin has given (/.c.) the following particulars :— “The Red-bellied Kingfisher is distributed over the whole of the warmer portions of North Eastern Africa, and extends northward up to 16° N. Lat. We found him by the sea (Adail and Somali Coasts) in October, in Abyssinia at an altitude of 8,000 feet above the sea from the commencement of the rainy season to October, northward up to the Bogos and Takah countries, on the Blue and White Nile, westward to the Djur district. Here it was in April, and in June at Djebel-Arandj. According to Forskal it is found in South Arabia. It is generally met with in pairs both by water and in the wooded country ; is, however, more of a fish-eater than fond of Orthoptera, Coleoptera, &c., which latter, however, it does not disdain. The breeding-time in Abyssinia must be in May and June; the males then follow each other with much noise and pugnacity. The call may be rendered dji-dji- dji-dschi.” ‘ The following observations have been kindly given to me by my friend M. Jules Verreaux :— ‘Contrary to most Ornithologists, Iam unable to separate the two birds known by the names of Halcyon semicerulea and Halcyon erythrogastra of St. Jago, where I have killed many specimens. The birds from the last named locality appear indeed of a more vivid colour, especially as regards the fore part of the body, which is beautifully white compared with specimens from Senegal and generally from the West Coast of Africa; I have seen, however, in the numerous collections from these countries, individuals having the same colouration as the former bird, whilst those from Abyssinia, which are also generally a little purer in tint than those of West Africa, seem to be intermediate in size between the last- named birds. “As regards its habits they are exactly the same in every locality, and, as the Abyssinian travellers have well remarked, these birds ordinarily frequent only brushwood, sometimes the large forests, especially in the breeding season, for it is in the cavities of the large trees that the female retires to lay her four or five glossy pure white eggs which are like those of the other species, but perhaps of a little purer colour than its congeners. At this time the male appears exclusively charged with the care of the female at first, and afterwards of the young birds till they are old enough to shift for themselves. In St. Jago I saw a large number in the cotton-fields which swarm with insects, and these appear to be their principal food. I am not at this day aware if at the season when insects become scarce, the birds, like some of their congeners, frequent the water to feed on the little fish, or to capture the small crustaceans. I am, however, disposed to think that they do this from the fact that I killed several specimens at Goree, where I found them in small flocks of eight or ten individuals, not far from the sea shore, but I could not follow them up on account of the shortness of my stay. As with most species of the genus, their nature is quick and restless, their cry is deep and sonorous, especially in the early morning and late at night, when they collect to seek their roosting place in the woods, for as far as I could see they always took refuge in the densest shades to pass the night. During the breeding season, which we observed once during our travels at Sierra Leone in November, each pair was solitary, and did not mingle with the others. It was at this time that we discovered many nests, and we could see that the male was actively employed in chasing the insects to take them to the female as she was sitting on her nest. It is also at this period of the year that the bird is beautiful to see, for when he is alarmed he erects all the feathers of the head, forming a kind of graceful crown. During the breeding season also the birds are silent, and it is exceedingly rare to hear any other cry but the short note of the male as he approaches the nest. I may add that it was by error that my friend Sir Andrew Smith included this species among the birds of South Africa. When we were at the Cape together I gave him a specimen from Senegal out of my collection, and it must have been by an over- sight that it was included by him in the list of South African birds.” I was particularly pleased at hearing from so good an authority as M. Jules Verreaux that Halcyon semicerulea was not a South African bird. I have long had doubts on this subject, for I have never seen a specimen among the numerous collections I have examined from South Africa, and the southermost range of the present species is therefore, so far as we know, Ovampo Land, where it was procured by Andersson. The specimen from which the description and figure of the adult bird has been taken is from Abyssinia, in my own collection, that of the young bird being the Ondonga specimen above mentioned, also in my own cabinet. eS ii vate ~ : nual we kine iil » Paes ‘aston eva pre - : _ ‘ nity } pl wh Pak) rien oe ' pat Oe pe aiay Avy , . be 4 AE? fan cuky aut) abet pat Bae ot Ty inate Pe? Te ML aby oF . ™ Z ie ir Tees or , * , wre cant ay! ae aoogdneal he Belt ots Caneel A ners 2 =... Lex’ or Wag won oF Rinne 5. > Hee: ; a te AA HALCYON ALBIVENTRIS. CO | HALCYON ALBIVENTRIS, (BROWN-HOODED KINGFISHER). Martin-pécheur de Visle de Lugon, : Sonn. Voy. N. Guin. pl. 31 (1776). Alcedo albiventris, : . : : Scop. Del. Faun. et Flor. Insubr. II, p. 90 (1786, ex Sonn.). Dacelo albiventris, : ; “ Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 31 (1863), Halcyon albiventris, . ; : : Finsch, Journ. f. Orn. 1867, p. 238. ' Dacelo striata, : ‘ : : Drap. Dict. Class d’ Hist. Nat. X, p. 223 (1826). Dacelo fuscicapilla, . - : : Lafr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1833, pl. 18. Halcyon fuscicapilla, . : : : Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 (1846). Chelicutia fuscicapilla, , ‘ - Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 39, t. eecexxiv, fig. 3152-53 (1851), Pagurothera fuscicapilla, , : ; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 150 (1860). Dacelo vaillanti, - ° , ; Term. MS. in Mus. Lugd, Halcyon vaillanti, ? : 2 : Mull. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 7. Alcedo atricapilla, Var. , , Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 252 (1790). H. rostro breviori fusco-rubro, versus apicem nigro: pileo distincté striato: major: scapularibus nigris : pectore brunneo striato. Hab. in Afric& meridionali. Adult. Head dark brown, broadly striped with darker brown, becoming nearly black ; scapularies and wing-coverts black; lower part of the back and rump bright cobalt; quills brownish-black, the inner web pale orange at the base, the primaries at the base of, and the secondaries for the whole of the outer web, as well as the primary-coverts, bright cobalt; tail cobalt above, black beneath, the inner web of all but the two middle feathers more or less black at the edge; feathers from the base of the nostril extending backwards over the eye, cheeks and a collar round the neck pale yellowish-brown with distinct longitu- dinal bars; throat and abdomen white with faint lines marking the shaft of the feather; breast and flanks tinged with yellowish brown and marked with very broad and distinct longitudinal stripes ; under wing- and tail-coverts pale orange, paler on the latter ; bill crim- son, black towards the tip; eye dark brown; feet dark red. Total length 10 inches, of bill from front 1.85, from gape 2.3, wing 4.2, tail 2.7, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 0.6, hind toe 0.3. Additional references.—Halcyon albiventris, Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, pp. 277 282; Ayres, Ibis, 1869, p. 290; Halcyon fuscicapilla, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 154, (1859); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 8 (1852); Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 243, et 1860, p. 204; Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 63 (1867); Gray, Handl. of B. p. 91 (1869); Chelicutia fuscicapilla, Bonap. Consp, Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Young. Brown above, the brown markings on the head very indistinct ; back pale cobalt; collar round the neck indistinct, dull fulvous brown; under-surface of the body very deep reddish-brown, the abdomen coloured like the rest of the breast, the throat alone being white; the shafts of the feathers on the upper part of the breast narrow and indistinct; bill dull red. Hab. Cape Colony (Layard), Kaffraria (mus. Hein.), Natal (Ayres), Transvaal Republic (Ayres). I cannot account with certainty for the differences of plumage exhibited by the present bird, as I cannot obtain satisfactorily identified specimens. It appears to me, however, that it is only the very old birds which obtain the black scapularies and the white belly. The young bird is coloured exactly like that of the young H. orientalis, and agrees with the figure of the young female in the plate of that species. More information on this point is required, and I draw the attention of Mr. Layard to the question. The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is confined to South Africa, extending along the eastern coast as far as the River Limpopo. North of this point it seems to be replaced in Eastern Africa by the allied species H. orientalis. I can find no specific difference in specimens from various localities, and the variation. in size appears from the following table of measure- ments, to be very trifling:— No. Locality. Authority. Long tot. Rostr. Al. 1 South Africa. mus. R. B.S. 9:0 1:6 4:2 2 9 4) iM y 9-0 1:75 4-2 3 a5 - 5 oy Sap 1:75 4-2 4, 44 a ae 9-5 1.75 4-2 5 5 . oh 3 10-0 1:8 4-2 6 PA 93 a m 9-5 1-75 4:2 5 os op se 8:5 1:85 4-2 8 Natal. . 9-0 1:85 42 It must be borne in mind that the length of the birds above-mentioned is given from a. dried skin in each case, so that little attention can be paid to the differences noted in the total length of the various specimens. The bill varies with age, so that, taking the absolute uniformity of the wing as our best guide, we may safely conclude that there is no specific difference to be found in specimens from different parts of South Africa. I am inclined to think that the Natal bird may be found to be a trifle larger than that of the Cape, as spec. 8, is a young bird and yet equals in size of bill spec. 7, which is the oldest bird in my collection. Mr. Layard (/.c.) tells us that the present species ‘extends from Kaffraria to Natal and inland as far as Kuruman. Mr. Atmore assures me that it is plentiful at Swellendam, and that when he is digging in his garden specimens may always be seen perched on the trees near him, from which they dart down on the worms, slugs, &c., which he turns up with his spade.—It is not found in the neighbourhood of Cape Town; but I have received a pair from a Mr. Dixon, said to have been killed on the eastern frontier.” Mr. Ayres has given us a very interesting note on its habits (/.c.). ; ‘‘ Male. Eye dark brown; bill crimson, black towards the tip; legs dark red. In its crop beetles and grasshoppers. ‘These birds frequent the bush, generally perching on some dead or bare bough not far from the ground; they do not take their prey on the wing, but take it from the ground. They have a loud chattering note, somewhat similar to the “Laughing Jackass” (Dacelo gigas) of South Australia, but do not laugh in the same ludicrous manner; they have a dipping flight, seldom flying far at once.” Heine’s Museum contains specimens of the Brown-hooded Kingfisher from Kaffraria. Besides the testimony above-given of Mr. Ayres, Dr. Finsch has recorded it (d.c.) from Natal, and I have a specimen in my own collection from the same locality. The furthest northern limit at which the species seems to have been met with, is the River Limpopo, where it was found by Mr. Ayres, but was scarce in this district. The description, measurements and figure are taken from an adult specimen given me by my friend Mr. Layard from the Cape Colony. The young bird described was purchased by me of Mr. Frank of Amsterdam. HALCYON ORIENTALIS, ad.& juv HALCYON ORIENTALIS. (EASTERN KINGFISHER. ) Halcyon orientalis, ! : . < Peters, Journ. f. Orn. 1868, p. 134. Hartl. and Finsch, Orn, Ostafr. p, 162 (1869). ”? ” H. rostro breviori, fusco-rubro, versus apicem nigro: pileo distincté striato: major: scapularibus nigris: pectore unicolori. Hab. in Africa orientali. Adult Male. Head light brown, striped with dark brown along the shaft of each feather ; upper part of the back, scapularies and wing-coverts deep black ; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts bright blue; quills light brown, the inner web pale orange at the base, the outer web edged with bright blue, more especially on the secondaries ; tail greenish- blue above, blackish beneath ; a loral spot produced backwards over the eye, sides of and a collar round the neck, and the entire under-surface white, inclining to fulvous on the flanks, and purest on the throat and upper part of the breast ; bill dusky-vermilion ; feet orange. Total length 8.5 inches, of bill from front 1.65, from gape 2.2, wing 4.0, tail 2.4, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.35, Young Female. Head brown with indistinct stripes of darker brown down the centre of each feather ; aloral spot extending backwards over the eye, sides of the neck and a collar encircling the back of the neck, dirty white; middle of the back, scapularies and wing- coverts deep umber brown; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts dull greenish- blue ; quills light-brown, the base of the inner web pale orange, the outer web edged with greenish-blue, especially on the secondaries ; tail greenish-blue above, brownish-black beneath ; throat white ; breast fulvous with a few faint stripes on the upper part ; bill dull vermilion ; feet orange; eye black. Total length 8.5, of bill from front 1.6, from gape 2.1, wing 3.9, tail 2.2, tarsus 0. 45, middle toe 0.65, hind toe 0.25. Hab. Zambesi (mus. Walden), Mozambique (Peters), Mombas (van der Decken). The description and measurements given above are from two of the typical specimens, for the loan of which I am indebted to the kindness of Professor Peters of Berlin, the original describer. The figures in the accompanying plate are also drawn from these type-specimens, and, on comparing them with the figure of Halcyon albiventris, it will at once be seen that Halcyon orientalis is quite distinct. I have also before me a specimen from the Zambesi, kindly lent me by Lord Walden, which seems to be an older bird than any of the specimens at Berlin. The colours in the Zambesi bird are brighter, the black on the back and scapularies is of a deeper tint, and the cheeks and sides of the neck are tinged with tawny red. I must here express my sincere thanks to Professor Peters for his kindness in per- mitting the type-specimens of this rare and interesting species to be sent to London for the embellishment of my work. “SISNSLNOITZHD NOADIVH : y Pp HALCYON CHELICUTENSIS. SER P ED KINGFISHER.) Libyan Kingfisher ; : é ; : Lath. Gen. Hist. IV, p. 32. Alcedo chelicuti . ‘ : . 3 : Stanley, Salt’s Trav. in Abyss. App. p. lvi (1814). Haleyon chelicuti : : ‘ : A Hartl. Verz. Brem. Samml. p. 18 (1844). Pagurothera chelicuti . : : : - Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 152 (1860). Dacelo chelicuti . : - : : : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 32 (1863). Haleyon chelicutensis . : . : ; Finsch & Hartl. Orn. Ost. Afr. p. 163 (1870). Dacelo tschelicutensis . ‘ : : j Heugl. Orn. N. O. Afr. p. 192 (1869). Alcedo variegata . ; 5 ‘ ‘ : Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 397 (1823). Pagurothera variegata . ; - : : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. II, p. 157 (1860). Haleyon vartegata : : : 3 5 Hartl. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 105. Alcedo striolata . : : ep Be ‘ Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 12 (1823). Haleyon striolata : 4 : ‘ ‘ Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1848). Chelicutia striolata . ‘ P , : Reich. Handb. Alced. I, p. 39, t. cccexxiv, fig. 3155 (1851). Dacelo striolata . F é : : : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 32 (1663). Dacelo pygmea . : : ; : ; Cretzschm. in Riipp. Zool. Atl. p. 42 (1826). Haleyon pygmaa ; . F : ; Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p, 154 (1850). Chelicutia pygmaa . . ; ; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 38, t. eccexxivy, fig. 3154 (1851). Halcyon damarensis . ; : : : Strickl. Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 153. Sumbo of the natives of Capangombe ( Anchieta). Hab. in tota regione AXthiopica. Head brown, each feather longitudinally marked down the centre with a shaft-stripe of darker brown; ear-coverts and back of the neck black; feathers in front of the eye at the base of the bill, cheeks and a collar round the back of the neck dirty white, marked with brown and slightly tinged with buff; upper portion of the back, scapulars and wing-coyerts brown, the greater coverts narrowly edged with white, primary coverts dull Additional references.—Alcedo chelicuti, Riipp. N. Wirb. p. 68 (1835). Haleyon chelicuti, Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 23 (1845); Ferr. et Gal. Voy. en Abyss. III, p. 248 (1847); Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846), et Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1848); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 9 (1852); Scl. Contr. to Orn. 1852, p. 124; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 128 (1854); Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 7; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 18 (1856), et Ibis, 1859, p. 829. Halcyon chelicutensis, Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 283; id. P. Z. 8. 1869, p. 569. Halcyon striolata, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 154 (1850); Hartl. J. f. O. 1854, p. 1, et Orn. Westafr. py 31 (1857), et J. f. O. 1861, p. 104; Heugl. Peterm. Mitth. 1862, p. 21; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 325; Layard, of 8. Afr. p. 61 (1867); Bocage, Jorn. Acad. Lish. 1867, p. 134; 1868, p. 40, 331; 1870, p. 839. Chelicutia striolata, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). aleyon pygmea, Heugl. J. f. O. 1864, p. 832; Hartm. J. f. O. 1866, p. 200; Ant. Cat. Uce. p. 28 (1865). green; quills dark brown, the inner web broadly white at the base, the outer web washed with dull green and narrowly edged with white towards the tip; lower portion of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts bright cobalt ; tail dull green above, greyish brown beneath ; under surface of the body white, inclining to buff on the flanks and abdomen; upper part of the breast and sides of the neck transversely crossed with narrow margins of brown, and each feather marked down the centre with a dark shaft-stripe; flanks longitudinally streaked with dark brown; bill and feet dull coral-red. Young. Similar to the adult, but has the breast distinctly marked with transverse edgings to the feathers. Hab. Senegal (mus. Brem.), Bissao (Verreaux), Sierra Leone (Jardine), Fantee (Sharpe), Abomey (Fraser), Angola; Ambriz and River Quanza (Monteiro), Galungo (Sala), Capangombe, Quillengues, Pungo-Andongo, Ambaca, Rio Chimba (Anchieta), Damara Land, Elephant Vley and Hykomkap (Andersson), Kurrichaine ( Verreaux), Natal ( Verreaua), River Limpopo (Ayres), Zambesi (irk), Zanzibar (Kirk), Suateli Coast ( Van der Decken), Interior of Eastern Africa (Speke), Abyssinia (Stanley, Riippell), Bogos Country, Senaar, Kordofan, Taka, White Nile (Heuglin), Djur, Gazelle River (Antinorz). I have adopted the amendment in the name of the present species as proposed by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, as in its original form the appellation was ungrammatical; and as the authors do not wish to refuse Lord Stanley the merit of the first introduction of the species, I see no reason why their name should not be generally allowed by Ornithologists. Between the young and old birds of the Striped Kingfisher considerable differences are exhibited, some specimens having a great deal of white on the wing-coverts, while the cross-barrings on the breast are very conspicuous in the young bird. Some specimens have the breast more suffused with buff than others. All the examples of the present species from South Africa are much larger than those from West Africa and Abyssinia. Strickland separated them under the name of Halcyon damarensis on receipt of some specimens from Damara Land collected by Andersson (J.c.). It is, however, impossible to separate them specifically, as, taking the Abyssinian bird as the type of the species, a regular series of gradations is reached according as specimens from the different parts of Western Africa are examined, those from Angola being inter- mediate in size and nearly attaining the large form of H. damarensis. I therefore regard these different races in a sub-specific light only, as in the case of the species of Corythornis. Dr. von Heuglin, whose interesting notes on the Birds of North Eastern Africa we have often had occasion to refer to in the course of the present work, gives the following observation respecting the habits of the present bird:— ‘We found this little Kingfisher resident, generally in pairs, along the Abyssinian coast-region, all through Abyssinia excepting on the very high mountain regions, in Takah, Galobat and Senaar. It inhabits without exception the steppes and wood-region, and numerous as it is in many localities I never found it near water. It seems to prefer open places in dry hilly countries, and is often observed in the neighbourhood of villages and enclosures, and even on huts. Its food consists entirely of coleoptera, orthoptera, lepidoptera and flies. Like the Flycatchers, this Kingfisher has places of favourite resort in its hunting-ground, dry branches of low bushes or hedges and such like places, where it is always to be found and from whence it captures insects on the wing. From this point it seldom goes on to the ground, and never hops on the latter. The breeding-season appears to be in the months of August and September. One can then often hear the flute- like whistle of the male, which sounds like a deep-drawn dschii-dschii-dschit and is generally preceded by a churring note. In other respects this bird is quiet, solitary but not shy, and quits his hiding-place with reluctance. According to Riippell it nests in = hollow trees; it generally sits straight upright, the neck drawn closely in, and the plumage puffed out. In this position it remains, with the bill lowered, moving it slowly backwards and forwards, for hours, until an insect approaches, which it seldom fails to secure; then, in spite of its previous hunched-up appearance, it is wonderfully quick and active inits movements.” For the following interesting details I am indebted to my friend M. Jules Verreaux :— “ H. striolata is everywhere common near Kurrichaine, the Latakoo and Val River, and is also met with commonly at Natal. Like H. fuscicapilla this little species is found in small bands of eight or ten, excepting during the breeding-season; and frequents by choice thin woods where the mimosas offer abundant food in the insects which abound on their blossoms, and they also feed on the saccharine matter secreted in the bark of these trees, which is a sort of gum resembling gum-arabic.”’ ‘Their habits are lively and active: they pursue each other with an activity which only flags during the great heat of the day, for then they hide in the shade, sitting motion- less for hours with the head drawn into the shoulders like a ball; but after three or four o’clock in the afternoon their call-note may be heard, and their gambols are recommenced and carried on to nightfall. When deprived of insects or larvae, these small birds descend from their perches to hunt after scolopandre, cockroaches, and even small reptiles; but they leave all these when they are near water, and take the numerous species of insects which fly along the surface of the water: and when capturing either these or tadpoles, little fish or the small, flat, round crustacea which abound here, they plunge like true Kingfishers, and often remain some time below the surface to make sure of their prey. During the breeding-season one only sees them in pairs, and the female deposits her five or six eggs in the hole of a tree. These are round, white, with a yellowish tinge, and have a resemblance to the eggs of some of the Picidw. ‘The male at this season appears to occupy himself solely in hunting after food and bringing it to the female, and does the same for his progeny. It is now that one can observe the activity of this bird, who, to satisfy the voracity of the young, is often obliged to hunt far and wide. It is, but for its small size, difficult to distinguish it from H. fuscicapilla, as it has all the actions of this species also. It is, however, rare to find this latter bird in the same locality, except near Natal, where the two ranges coalesce. As does the larger bird, so H. striolata when scared raises the feathers of the head in the form of a beautiful crown. ‘The young in their first plumage do not appear to differ from their parents excepting that their beaks are much longer, whereas the adult has the beak very short. ‘They soon, however, shorten the beak from knocking it against branches or rocks. Specimens from Abyssinia seem to be intermediate in size between those of West Africa and South Africa, the western birds being generally paler coloured. Doubtless the difference of climate has much influence on this diminution in size, as also has the food; and this cause I have often observed during my extended travels as acting on birds.” Dr. Kirk says that in the Zambesi Region ‘“‘this species is widely distributed, and equally common on the sea-coast among the mangroves and near the rivers far in the interior; also in the plains. Its food consists of insects, which it seems to catch on the wing. It is a sweet songster, both before and during the rains.” Mr. Monteiro (ic ) gives the following note :— ‘¢ All the birds belonging to this family that I have observed in Angola utter a very agreeable loud note or song, which produces a singular effect when, in going down a river in a canoe in the breathless mid-day sun, it is heard cool and clear, while all else is hushed and still in the glare and heat. They are found in the thick woods and bush in the vicinity of the rivers as much or more than on the very banks.”’ The description is taken from an Abyssinian specimen in my collection. The right- hand figure in the plate represents a bird collected at Elephant Vley, Damara Land, on the 8th of September, 1859, by the late Mr. Andersson; while the hinder figure is drawn from the Abyssinian specimen above mentioned. 7 aw ay fit sited site a ' hah ae rs re | Po bb irae aa eal haat ay Aa \ 7 eB | ohh al LaRHE 46 ae RON tf fon bagi ay aed wy 2H iy Bas nih wb -psut’ Gale yade Sal » tt ore wart te (Fok rd Htavit ia th: bit er vcs cel coral ite a ies wolu Seay fo uid nl wth eae 7 7 . c 7 ‘ « . ‘ - ~ . a he ee E «ape . ; ‘ ‘ ‘ * , « . v - ‘ - ‘ . s « « 4 a . ye -~ . a m & rd cs ly - HALCYON SENEGALOIDES. HALCYON SENEGALOIDES. (MANGROVE KINGFISHER). Halcyon senegaloides , Smith, 8. Afr. Quart. Journ. IT, p. 144 (1834). Cancrophaga senegaloides, | Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854) Halcyon irrorata, . : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 11, t.cece, fig. 3078, t.cceci, fig. 3079 (1851). H. rostro toto rubro: pileo cinereo thalassino lavato: dorso thalassino: pectore cinereo: abdomine medio albo. Hab. in Africa australi orientali. Head and nape cinereous, with a greenish-blue lustre; back and scapularies thalassine- blue, very bright on the lower part of the back; wing-coverts deep black; wing-feathers blackish, white at the base, the basal half of the outer web of the primaries, and nearly the whole of the outer web of the secundaries brilliant thalassine-blue; tail above blue, beneath black; a stripe from the base of the beak extending backwards over the eye, dusky cinereous ; spot in front of the eye and ring of feathers round the eye black ; throat, abdomen, under wing and tail-coverts white, the latter washed with blue; cheeks, sides of the neck, breast and flanks cinereous with a greenish lustre, and with transverse cinereous vermicula- tions; bill coral-red; feet dark reddish yellow; eye dark brown. ‘Total length 9 inches, of bill from front 2, from gape 2.4, wing 4.2, tail 2.6, tarsus 0.45, middle toe 0.8, hind toe 0.4. Hab. Natal (Smith, Ayres), Southern Mozambique (Peters). The present species is rare in European Museums, and has as yet only been met with in Natal na South Mozambique. Sir Andrew Smith, the original describer, states that ‘‘ like other members of the group, Halcyon senegaloides resorts to thickets and feeds upon insects, especially crustacea and grylla.” Additional references.—Halcyon senegaloides, Smith, Ill. Zool. S. Afr. pl. 63 (1849), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 158 “ 850), Cass. Cat. Hale, Phil. Mus. p. 8 (1850), Miiller, Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 7, Gurney, Ibis, 1865, p. 265, Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 63 Saat, Halcyon irrorata, Cab. Van der Decken’s Reise, III, p. 36 (1868), Hartl. & Finsch, Orn. Ost. Afr. p. 159 (1869). Mr. Ayres, to whom we are indebted for several very interesting field-notes published at various times in Mr Gurney’s papers in the “ Ibis,” gives us the following description of the habits of the present Kingfisher. ‘‘ These birds as far as I know, are only found upon the mangroves which line the bay; they feed principally upon small crabs, though fish are sometimes taken by them. They are generally seen singly or in pairs, and are only here during the winter months, leaving us on the approach of summer; they are rather shy birds, and dive into the dense mangrove-bush when alarmed.” The description and measurements given above are taken from a very beautiful skin sent by Mr. Ayres from Natal, and now in the collection of the Rev. H. B. Tristram, who has kindly lent it to me. The plate is drawn from the same specimen. Very little difference is to be seen between the sexes, though according to Mr. Ayres, the female has the bill dusky towards the tip, and the plumage less brilliant. HALCYON CYANOLEUCA, ad & juv HALCYON CYANOLEUCA. (ANGOLA KINGFISHER.) Alcedo cyanoleuca, ; : ; ; : Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. XIX. p. 401 (1818). Halcyon cyanoleuca, . ; i : ; Hartl. Contr. to Orn. 1849, p. 20. Cancrophaga cyanoleuca, . ; : ’ Bonap, Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Martin-pecheur a ventre sablé,_. ; ‘ Temm. Cat. syst. p. 215 (1807). H. maxilla rubra, mandibulé nigra: scapularibus leté thalassino lavatis: major: pileo leté thaiassino strié nigra per oculum supra regionem paroticam producta. Hab in Africa occidentali et australi. Above beautiful thalassine-blue, showing a sea-green tint in some lights, especially bright on the rump and outer edge of the secondaries ; a white stripe from the base of the nostrils extending backwards over the eye, white; feathers at the base of the bill, encircling the eye and extending backwards over the ear-coverts deep black ; wing- coverts jet-black, outer wing-coverts thalassine-blue ; quills black, the inner web white at the base ; tail thalassine-blue above, beneath black ; throat and under wing-coverts pure white ; rest of the under-surface of the body greyish white, with small transverse cinereous verniculations, and washed in some lights with a thalassine lustre; upper mandible vermilion, lower mandible black ; feet black. Total length 9 inches, of bill from front 1.8, from gape 2.3, wing 4.4, tail 2.5, tarsus 0.4, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.35. Hab. Gambia River (mus. R. B. Sharpe), Angola (Temminck), Benguela (Monteiro), Ondonga, Ovampo Country (Andersson), Cape Colony (Layard), Monocusi River, N. Natal (Ayres), Zambesi River (mus. Walden et R. B. Sharpe). I believe this species to be fully separable from H. senegalensis, the points of distinc- Additional references.—Alcedo cyanoleuca, Bon, et Vieill. Encl. Meth. 1, p. 394 (1828). Halcyon cyanoleuca, Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 2; id. Orn. Westaf. p. 31 (1857), Miller, Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 8; Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 265, Haleyon senegalensis, Mont. P.Z.S. 1865, p. 94; Gurney, Ibis, 1865, p. 265, Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 62 (1867). tion being the thalassine-blue colour on the head, and the black streak through the eye, which in the latter species only just encircles that organ while inH. cyanoleuca it is produced over the ear-covert. Even in very young examples of the present bird, the blue on the head is very apparent. I have satisfied myself as to the birds from the above-mentioned localities, really belonging to H. cyanoleuca, by an actual examination of all of them except the bird from Angola. No doubt, however, this bird is rightly identified, as the Benguela specimen is certainly referable to the present species. In a recently received collection of the late indefatigable naturalist Mr. C. J. Andersson, I was delighted to find a series of H. cyanoleuca from Ondonga in the Ovampo Country, situated to the north of Damara Land, and amongst these was one young bird which had the beak very short, and of an orange colour variegated with black. The bird from the Monocusi River, forwarded by Mr. Ayres, is now in the collection of the Rev. H. B. Tristram, and is the most beautiful specimen I have yet seen. I have taken advantage of his kindness in lending it to me to figure it in the accompanying plate. My friend Mr. J. J. Monteiro has given me the following note on this species as observed by him in Benguela, where it is by no means rare. ‘* These birds are very abundant all over Angola and the country that I have explored (Loango to Little Fish Bay), wherever trees are found, whether in the vicinity of water or not. They are always to be seen on the tops of trees, preferring a dead or bare branch, where, during the hottest part of the day, they constantly repeat a loud plaintive, whistling song; the loud monotonus droning of the cicadz being the only other sound to break the silence of noon, under the fierce glare of the tropical sun.” Mr. Layard has lately sent me two specimens of H. cyanoleuca from the Cape Colony. One of these was from Mosilikatze’s country, while the other was forwarded to him from the Knysna by his zealous correspondent Mr. Atmore. The description, measurements and the lower figure in the plate are taken from the specimen from the Monocusi River, kindly lent me by Mr. Tristram. The upper figure is taken from a young bird in my collection from the Zambesi River. Uthtea i > a ~ HALCYON SENEGALENSIS. HALCYON SENEGALENSIS (SENEGAL KINGFISHER.) Alcedo senegalensis . : - : Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 180 (1766). Halcyon senegalensis , ; : Swains. Zool. Illustr. 1st ser. I, pl. 27 (1821). Dacelo senegalensis . . , - Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 247 (1831). Cancrophaga senegalensis, - : Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854), Haleyon cancrophaga, : ‘ : Heugl. Syst. Ubers. p. 18 (1856, nec, Lath.) Martin-pecheur a téte grise de Sénégal, Buff. Pl. Enl. 594. H. maxilla rubra, mandibula nigré: scapularibus leté thalassimo lavatis: minor: pileo obscuré cinereo : stria nigra a basi maxillee oculum circumdante, haud posticé producta. Hab. in Africa occidentali et in Abyssinia. Head and back of the neck ashy-grey; back, scapularies and upper surface of the tail bright cobalt, especially on the rump; the whole of the upper wing-coverts deep black ; primary coyerts cobalt; quills black, white at the base, the outer web, especially of the secondaries, broadly edged with bright cobalt ; tail cobalt above, black beneath, the inner web black along the edge, as also the shaft, the whole tail entirely black underneath ; lores white, produced backwards over the eye forming a very distinct eyebrow; cheeks, sides of the neck and upper part of the breast ashy-grey with a slight blue lustre and minutely vermiculated; throat and abdomen white, flanks grey; upper mandible deep vermilion, lower mandible jet black; feet black; eyes black. Total length 8.5 inches, of bill from front 1.7, from gape 2.1, wing 4.0, tail 3.0, tarsus 0.4, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.3. Hab. Senegambia (mus Lugd.), R. Gambia (mus. Brem.), Sierra Leone (Bowdich), River Niger (Zhomson), Bonny River (Jardine), Cameroons (mus. Rk. b. Sharpe), Gaboon ( Verreaux), Camma River (Du Chaillu), Angola (Monteiro), Benguela (Anchieta, Sala), White andBlueNiles (1 euglin),Bogos Country (Jesse, Blanford), Gazelle River (Antinor?), Meninga (Speke). Additional references.—Alcedo senegalensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 455 (1788); Vieill. Encl. Meth, I, p. 283 (1823): Halcyon senegalensis, Swains. Birds of W. Afr. II, p. 97 (1837); Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 1846); Jard, Ann. Nat. Hist. XVII, p. 86 (1846); Ferr. Voy. en Abyss. Zool. III, p. 248 (1847) ; Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 53 (1848); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 155 (1850); Verr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 266; Reich. Handb. Alced. p. II. t. ccee. fig. 3077 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 8 (1852), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn, 1854, p.2; Mill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 7; Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1856, p. 320; Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 31 (1857) ; Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1859, p. 33; Heine, Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 187 ; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p, 472 (1860); Du Chaillu, Eq. Afr. p. 472 (1861); Hartl. Journ. f. Orn, 1861, p. 104; id, P.Z.S. 1863, p. 105 ; Sclater, P.Z.S. 1864, p. I11; Heugl. Journ, f. Orn. 1864, p. 332; Antin. Cat. Ucc. p. 28 (1864) ; Hartm. Journ. f. Orn. 1866, p. 201; Bocage, Jorn. Acad. Lisb. 1867, p. 184; Gray, Handb. of B. p. 90 (1869). This species is closely allied to the Angola Kingfisher (Halcyon cyanoleuca) but appears never to obtain the bright blue head of the latter bird, and moreover does not have the black stripe through the eye produced backwards so far over the ear-coverts. It is also a somewhat smaller bird, as the following comparative measurements clearly demonstrate :— No. | Sex. Name. Locality. Authority. Long tot. Rostr. Al. 1 | * | H, senegalensis | Cameroons. | mus. R. B.S. 75 16 3°7 2 | C Gaboon. Verreaux. 75 1-6 3-75 3 | $ . Angola. mus. R. B.S. 8-0 1-6 4-0 1 A Senegambia. mus. R, B.S. 8:0 a7, 4-0 5) 2 “ Rio Dande. | Sala. 8:0 1:8 3:8 6 3 % Benguela. Sala. 8:0 1:9 4:0 7 | 9 White Nile. | Petherick. $5 17 3-9 Bo dt H, cyanoleuca, | Ondonga. Andersson. 85 2-0 4-7 9 3 A 9 a 8:5 1:9 4°5 There seem to me to be considerable differences between specimens of H. senegalensis from various localities, but the impossibility of getting a large series of carefully sexed specimens prevents the possibility of being able to account for them. So far as my experi- ence goes, specimens from Benguela are larger than those from other parts of Western Africa. Young birds seem to be more dingily coloured, and to have the breast dark cinereous and the head dull brownish ashy. As the bird advances in age the head appears to become paler grey, till in very old examples it has a slight blue lustre. This, however, does not allow of its being confounded with H. cyanoleuca, as the very old birds of H. senegalensis never have the blue on the head so apparent as in the young of the other species, while the extent of the black stripe through the eye is a good distinguishing characteristic. The MM. Verreaux have given an elaborate description of a young male (/.c.) from Gaboon which they found to,be identical with specimens from Senegal, and they state “that this species frequents woods, where it lives principally on insects.” My friend Mr. Monteiro has recently obtained specimens in Angola at Ambriz, and also on the River Quanza. The stomach of one of the birds contained the remains of a small lizard, that of another large grasshoppers. The description, measurements, and the figure in the accompanying plate have been taken from a specimen in my collection from Senegal. ‘SVAYG NOADIVH HALCYON DRYAS. (WOOD KINGFISHER. ) Halcyon dryas. : : , Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 2. ” 5 : . : - Orn. Westafr. p. 32 (1857). Dacelo 55 : ; : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 30 (1863). H. maxilla rubra, mandibula nigra: scapularibus nigerrimis: major: capite summo brunneo: dorso, genis, et pectore superiori viridi-thalassinis: hypochondriis cinereis, thalassino lavatis. Fam. vix 4 mari diversa. Hab. in regione aquatoriali Africe Occidentalis. Crown of the head brown, tinged with greenish, especially towards the nape; back sea-green, deeper and more intense on the rump and upper tail-coverts; scapularies and upper wing-coverts deep black; wing-feathers blackish, the outer web shining green towards the base, which is white; tail above sea-green, each feather having the shaft black, and being edged and tipped with the same colour; under surface black, a line above the eye dusky white; a broad band surrounding the eye and extending backwards along the side of the head, together with a spot at the base of the lower mandible black; throat, white; cheeks, sides of the neck and upper parts of the breast shining sea-green; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts ashy tinged with bluish green; upper mandible deep coral red, under mandible black; feet red; eyes dark brown. Total length 11. Length of bill from front 2, from gape 2.5, wing 4.9, tail 3.5, tarsus .5, middle toe .9, hind toe .4, Hab. St. Thomas (Mus. Hamib.), Tiha do Principe (Dohrn ; Keulemans), Rio Boutry (Pel, Mus. Lugd.), Gaboon (Verreaux), Camma River (Du Chaillu). This species is allied to the Ashy-fronted Kingfisher (/. cinereifrons), but may at once be distinguished by its larger and altogether stouter form, as well as by the colour of the head. The sea-green colour of the back is also of another shade, being not so blue as in the former bird, but as this colour varies very much in different lights, it is very difficult to paint or describe it. The differences, however, will be apparent on an examination of specimens. The range of the present species does not seem to be as extended as that of most of its congeners, and is apparently confined to the West Coast of Africa in close proximity to the line of the Equator. Of its habits nothing was known until the recent visits of Dr. H. Dohrn and Mr. J. G. Keulemans to Ilha do Principe, and I am indebted to the latter gentleman for the use of his notes on this bird, which were made during his residence in the island, and to which I shall presently refer. Additional references. H.dryas ; Mull. Beitr, Orn, Westafr. pl. 11. (1854); Verr. Rev. et. Mag. Zool. 1855, p. 272, Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 159, p. 84; Keul. Ned. Tidschr. 1866, p. 376, Dohrn, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 325. Dr. Dohrn (/. ¢.) observes :—‘ The manner of life of this bird reminded me of our owls. I often observed them in the day-time sitting motionless on a branch, as if they were fast asleep, in dark shady localities. The smalls birds strongly dislike them; [ supposed that sometimes their children are not refused by the Halcyones for a meal. As soon as they are discovered in their retreat, lots of Nectarinie Zosteropes, &c., are around them, and amuse themselves with abusing them; finally the Halcyon leaves the place with a short shrieking outcry. If not annoyed, he has a soft melancholic tune which sometimes appeared to me like soft and weeping cries of achild. They usually feed upon big insects ; and I found often in their stomach pieces of snails, especially of Columna jlammea. They live in the woods, in the neighbourhood of small streams. Their name on the island is ‘ Chocho.’ ” Mr. Keulemans with more precision gives the following additional details with regard to the life-history of this hitherto little-known species :— ‘‘ This bird inhabits Ilha do Principe, where it is very common and remarkably tame. It is generally met with in the forests, near any river or rivulet, sitting on a branch growing over the water, and on the look-out for water-insects, small fishes, &c. It evinces great partiality for snails. When it has found one it descends, seizes it in its great beak, and returns again to its resting-place. Sometimes great numbers of snail-shells may be seen strewed about under the place where the bird has been sitting. During the rainy season, when snails are very plentiful, the Kingfisher catches so many in the morning, that it is scarcely able to fly in the after-part of the day, and then may be seen sitting half-asleep without the least sign of life. I often saw it in this state and have caught specimens with a horse-hair noose fastened to the end of a short stick. When captured, it makes a peculiar noise, crying chék, chék, chék, which the smaller birds (Zosteropes, Cuphopteri, Symplectes, Nectarinie, etc.) no sooner hear, than they surround the unfortunate bird, coming very close and persecuting it, all the while screaming vociferously. I have seen as many as sixty birds surrounding one Kingfisher and tormenting it. In the day- time the latter seems to be afraid of the small birds, but in the early morning, when it has not over-eaten itself, the tables are turned, and the Kingfisher is then master of the field.” ‘‘ Having observed the hatred exhibited by the small birds for this species of Haleyon, I stuffed a specimen, and by placing it in a conspicuous place I was soon able to procure as many small birds as I wanted.” “The Halcyon dryas hatches its young during the months of August and September before the commencement of the rainy season. Its builds no nest, and the female lays two or three glossy white eggs upon the mould in the hole of a tree. Generally these holes are very deep and very dirty. Notwithstanding the latter fact, however, the young birds are always clean and handsome, but they have a very disagreable smell.” ‘The sexes are alike, and the young on leaving the nest are the same size as their parents, but differ considerably in colour. They are very brown on leaving the nest. In the second month the colour becomes paler and more greenish; in the third month the blue of the wing feathers, back and tail, becomes more distinct and brighter, and the under parts are more blueish; in the fourth month, the above-mentioned blueish parts are nearly clear, and the brown on the ears and neck becomes yeliowish. From the above notes it will be seen that the young assume the adult plumage gradually. 1 shot altogether about forty specimens during my stay in the island, of which nearly thirty were young birds, all of them differing according to their age. The native name is Dyo-dyo or Djoo-djoo, which signifies stupid.” The large figure in the plate represents an old male shot by Mr. Keulemans himself now in the Leiden Museum. The small figure flying in the back-ground is a young bird. ad Ni lt i HALCYON MALIMBICA. a — ew &, HALCYON MALIMBICA. (ASHY-FRONTED KINGFISHER.) Alcedo malimbica . : , : Shaw, Gen. Zool. VIII. p, 66 (1811). Halcyon malimbica . : : . ’ : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 8 (1852), Cancrophaga malimbica . : ; ; ; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis, p. 9 (1854). Alcedo cinereifrons . : : ‘ 5 : Vieill, Nouv. Dict. d’ Hist. Nat. XIX. p. 403 (1818). Halcyon cinereifrons : : : ; : Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 (1846). Todiramphus cinereifrons : ; , : Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 48 (184). Cancrophaga cinereifrons j F s - Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Dacelo cinereifrons : - ; ‘ - Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 29 (1863). Halcyon torquatus . é - : : : Swains. Birds of W. Afr. II, p. 99 (18387), Halcyon torquata . : ‘ 3 : : Mill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 7. Hi. maxilla rubra, mandibula nigra: scapularibus nigerrimis: minor: pileo cinereo, Hab. in Africd occidentali. Adult. Entire head ashy-grey, becoming tinged with blue on the nape; back, from the nape to the rump, rich cobalt; scapularies and wing-coverts jet black; quills black, the inner web white at the base, the basal half of the exterior web of the primaries, and nearly the entire outer web of the secondaries, brilliant cobalt ; tail dark cobalt above, black beneath; throat, and a narrow line over the eye, white; space between the bill and the eye, feathers round the eye extending backwards over the ear-coverts, deep black; cheeks, ear coverts, sides of the neck and the breast, greenish cobalt ; abdomen and under tail-coverts, white; flanks grey, with obscure vermiculations; upper mandible vermilion, black at the base and towards the tip, lower mandible jet black; feet red. Total length 10 inches, of bill from front 2.3, from gape 2.7, wing 4.6, tail 3.2, tarsus 0.5, middle toe, 0.8, hind toe, 0.35. Very old. Head ashy, all except the forehead itself washed with cobalt ; entire back exceedingly rich cobalt; tail bright blue above, black beneath ; throat and abdomen pure white, under tail-coverts distinctly washed with cobalt and vermiculated; flanks washed with a cobalt lustre. Total length 10.5 inches, of bill from front 2.3, from gape 2.7, wing 4.5, tail 3.0, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 0.8. Additional references.—Haleyon malimbica, Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 282: ~ “WYOVS NOASDTVH ee ONS Ave RA. Sacred Kingfisher Alcedo sacra Aleedo sacra Haleyon sacra Todirhamphus sacer (pt.) Alcedo collaris, var. 1, 2 Dacelo coronata Halcyon coronata Dacelo albifrons Dacelo vitiensis Todirhamphus vitiensis THaleyon vitiensis Haleyon supereiliosa . Sauropatis superciliosa Todirhamphus tuta (pt.) Haleyon cassint Halcyon pealet (WHITE-BROWED KINGFISHER.) Lath. Gen. Syn. I, p. 621, cum var. A (1772). Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 453, cum var. A (1788, ex Lath.) ; Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 294 (1823). Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 250 cum var. B (1790). Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centr. Polyn. p. 32 (1867); Gray, Handl. of B. p. 92 (1869). Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 156; Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 10 (1852). Forst. Deser. Anim. p. 163 (1844). Peale, U. 8. Expl. Exp. p. 156, pl. 160 (1848); Hartl. Archiv. f. Naturg. 1852, p. 111. Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacif. Oc. p. 5 (1859). Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 156, pl. 144 (1848); Hartl. Archiv. f. Naturg. 1852, p. 110. Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 156, pl. 144 (1848); Hartl. Archiv. f. Naturg. 1852, p. 110. Cass. U. 8. Expl. Exp. pp. 195, 209; pl. xvi (1858). Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacif. Oc. p. 5 (1859); id. Handl. of B. I, p. 93 (1869). Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 56 (1848, deser. nulla); id. Handl. of B. I, p. 92 (1869). Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 158 (1860). Cass. U. S. Expl. Exp. pp. 192, 206, pl. xv, figs. 1, 2 (1858). Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centr. Polyn. p. 38 (1867). Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centr. Polyn. p. 40 (1867). H. rostro nigro, mandibula versus basin flavicante: uropygio viridi-cyaneo: pileo cum dorso toto, viridi- Hab. in Oceania. eyaneis: collo postico albo : capitis lateribus laté albis. - Very old. Head and neck white, with a few green feathers in the centre of the crown, and a line of black feathers slightly tinged with green from the eye enclosing the ear-coverts and encircling the neck ; back and scapulars dull green ; wing-coverts bright green tinged with blue; quills black, white at the base of the inner web, and externally edged with blue; rump, upper tail-coverts and upper surface of the tail blue, with a slight greenish tinge in some lights, under surface of the latter greyish black ; under surface of the body white ; bill black, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; feet dull red. Total length 9-0 inches, bill 1°8, wing 4°6. Adult. Top of the head blue, with a faint tinge of green towards the forehead; a broad white line passing from the base of the bill over the eye and encircling the head ; below this a line of black feathers tinged with blue running under the eye, round the back of the neck, and enclosing the ear-coverts; sides and back of the neck white, forming a nuchal collar; back and scapulars dull greenish-blue; wing-coverts brighter blue, inclining to cobalt ; quills black, the inner web white at the base, the outer web, especially of the secondaries, edged with blue; lower portion of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts bright blue inclining to cobalt ; tail black, crossed with indistinct narrow bars, the upper surface deep blue, the under surface greyish-black ; entire under surface of the body white ; bill black, yellow at the base of the lower mandible ; feet reddish-olive ; eyes dark-brown. ( Tongataboo.) Young. Similar to the adult, but has the line of feathers surrounding the crown bright buff, and the white nuchal collar is also faintly tinged with the same colour; the blue-colour of the head and body very bright. (Zongataboo.) Another specimen has the superciliary line not so strongly tinged with buff. ( Tongataboo.) Another specimen has the superciliary line more plainly tinged with buff, traces of this colour being apparent also on the forehead ; slight traces of transverse marks are to be seen on the back of the neck and sides of the breast. ( Zongataboo.) Another specimen has no trace of buff on the superciliary line, but grey transverse markings on the feathers of the neck and sides of the breast, and has also fulvous edgings to the wing-coverts. (Tongataboo.) Hab. Fiji islands: Viti Levu (Grife), Ovalou (Grdfe). Friendly Islands: Tongataboo (Home, Brenchley). Samoa Islands: Tutuila (Peale). The three groups of islands to which the present bird is confined are given by me above, and I believe that ail other habitats with which the species is accredited are erroneous. At all events, these are the only ones which I believe to be authentic, so that I leave the exact range to be determined by some good Naturalist like Mr. Wallace, who will visit the islands of the Pacific Ocean and correctly determine the limits of the various faune, for I am convinced that many of the localities assigned to the birds from Oceania are altogether wrong. [ cannot find in the map the locality of Santa Christina, where Forster mentions that he procured a Kingfisher, which he considered to be a further variety of his Alcedo collaris, var. 1 (from Tongatabu). This latter bird is certainly H. sacra, and I believe his var. 2 is only a little older specimen of the same bird. Although Ornithologists have differed much in their determination of the “ Sacred Kingfisher ” of Latham, I believe that there can be little doubt that the bird here figured by me is really the species described by the above-named author, his “ var. A’’ being the more adult bird. The variations in plumage of this Kingfisher are remarkable, and although I have figured three of the stages, there still remain one or two phases which I have not represented in the plate. Thus birds are met with which have the plumage inclining to bright blue with a cinnamon cincture encircling the crown, while in another stage, probably more adult, the plumage of the back is greenish blue and the superciliary cincture white, while the very old bird probably gets a pure white head. I have never seen a specimen with an absolutely white head, but there are examples in Mr. Gould’s collection and in the British Museum which have the crown white, with the exception of a few green feathers in the middle. I have taken great pains to collate the synonymy of this species, and I believe with good effect. I have examined personally the types of Mr. Gray’s H. superciliosa, which is the present bird in various stages of plumage, and to the kindness of my friends Drs. Hartlaub and Finsch I am indebted for the loan of the type of their recently described Hlaleyon cassim, which is certainly H. sacra. It is, however, to the credit of these eminent Naturalists to state that they are the only ones who have rightly identified the true H. sacra of Gmelin, and consequently their work is the only trustworthy guide to the correct synonymy of this and the allied species. As regards the Halcyon peale: of the same authors, I believe this also to be only a stage of HH. sacra. Mr. Brenchley has recently brought home a beautiful series of this Kingfisher from Tongataboo. Attached to one of his specimens now in my collection is the following note: ‘* Male: eyes, dark brown: contents of stomach, crustacea: Tongatabu, July, 1865.” The descriptions are principally from specimens brought from Oceania by Mr. Brenchley. That of the very old bird, however, is taken from a specimen kindly lent me by Mr. Gould. The figures in the plate represent what I believe to be the very old bird (with the head almost white), the adult (with a white eyebrow), and the young (with a cinnamon coloured eyebrow). ¥. AS tfis Gia? ) ‘ = 7 ao i. ¢ aw * . We HALCYON JULIA. foe ey ON) UY LE A. (NEW HEBRIDES KINGFISHER.) Sauropatis julia : ; ‘ : f : ; Heine, Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 184. Haleyon julie . ; ; : : : y , Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 93 (1869). Dacelo grayi . i 5 : : : - Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 37 (1863). Nethug of the natives of New Hebrides (Peale). H. similis HZ. sacre sed minor, coloribusque omnino saturatioribus. Hab, in insulis ‘“‘ New Hebrides” dictis. Adult. Crown of head bright green, shaded with cobalt; a broad line from the base of the bill encircling the head, cinnamon ; ear-coverts and a narrow line extending round the neck black washed with green; upper part of the back and scapulars dull greenish ; wing-coverts and back blueish-green, shading into bright cobalt; quills black, externally washed with blueish-green; tail blueish-green above, black beneath ; a collar round the neck and entire under-surface of the body white ; bill black, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible; feet olive-brown. Total length 8°9 inches, of bill from front 1:7, from gape 2-0, wing 4:1, tail 2-9, tarsus 0°55. Young. Similar to the adult, but more dingily coloured ; superciliary cincture and back of neck deep cinnamon ; forehead also tinged with cinnamon ; ear-coverts jet-black ; wing-coyerts greenish-blue edged with cinnamon ; flanks tinged with fulvous ; feathers of breast and back of neck edged with narrow brown markings. Hab. New Hebrides (mus. Brit. et Lugd.). This species is a dull-coloured representative of H. sacra, and doubtless goes through all the stages of plumage which that bird is known to assume. My descriptions and figures are from specimens in the British Museum. “SIHYOTHD NOAD1VH PALO ON CHELORTS. (WHITE-COLLARED KINGFISHER.) Martin-pécheur a téte verte du Cap de Bonne Esperance Buff. Pl. Enl. 783. Martin-pécheur a collier blanc des Philippines. : Sonn. Voy. N. Guin. p. 67, t. 33 (1766). Alcedo chloris . : : : . ; F . Bodd. Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 49 (1783, ex Buff). Halcyon chloris : : ; : , é ; Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846). Todirhamphus chloris . : : ‘ : : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 10 (1852). Sauropatis chloris . ‘ : 5 : ‘ : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 160 (1860). Dacelo chloris . : : ; : ; : 2 Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 32 (1863). Alcedo sacra, var. é. ‘ : : : ; , Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 453 (1788, ex Sonn.). Alcedo sacra, var. 7. ; : : : : : Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 295 (1823). Alcedo chlorocephala ; : : / A ‘ Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 454 (1788, ex Buff). Dacelo chlorocephala : . ‘ ‘ , Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 246 (1831). Halcyon chlorocephala : ; : ‘ , : Sw. Classif. of B. II, p. 335 (1837); Hartl. Ibis, 1859, p. 339. Todirhamphus chlorocephalus . : F ' : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 156 (1850). Haleyon collaris : ‘ ; : F , Sw. Zool. Ilustr. I, pl. 27 (1820). Todirhamphus collaris. - : ; - : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 156 (1850). Todirhamphus occipitalis . ‘ : : : F Blyth, J. A. 8. B. XV, pp. 23, 369 (1846). Ceryle abyssinica. ; ; ; : : : Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 67 (1854). Haleyon abyssinica . ‘ ; : ; : > Pelz. Sitz. Acad. Wien, 1856, p. 500; id. Voy. Noy. Vog. p. 46 (1865). H. rostro nigro, versus basin mandibule flavicanti: pileo et dorso toto cyaneo-viridibus: maculd nuchali alba: torque collari albo: subtus alba. Hab. in parte septentrionali regionis Aithiopice orientalis, in tota regione Indica usque ad sub-regionem Austro-Malayanam. Additional references.—Haleyon chloris, Motl. & Dillw. Nat. Hist. of Lab. p. 12 (1855). Todirhamphus chloris, Cass. U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 208 (1858); Pelz. Vov. Nov. Vig. p. 44 (1855) ; Finsch & Hartl. Orn. Centr. Polyn. p. 35, note (1867); Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 92 (1869). Dacelo chloris, Schl. Vig. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp- 26, 68, pl. 10 (1864); Finsch, Neu Guinea, p. 16 (1865); Heugl. Orn. N. O. Afr. p. 194 (1869). Zodirhamphus chlorocephalus, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 31, t. eccexvii, fig. 3128, et t. cccciii b. fig. 3390 (1851); Blyth, Ibis, 1859, p. 465; Bernst. J. f. O. 1859, p. 189. Halcyon collaris, Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846); id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 56 (1848); Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 127 (1854); Gray, P. Z. 8. 1858, p. 171, et Cat. B. N. Guin. p. 19 (1859); Gould, P. Z. 8. 1859, p. 151; Gray, P. Z. 8. 1860, p. 346, et 1861, p. 433 ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 213; Wall, P. Z. 8S. 1863, pp. 23, 484. Zodirhamphus collaris, Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 48 (1849); Reich. Handb. Alced. I, p. 30, t. eccexvii, fig. 3129 (1851); Moore, P. Z. 8. 1854, p- 269; Wall, P. Z. S. 1862, p. 388; Jerd. B. of Ind. I, p. 228 (1862); Wald. P. Z. 8. 1866, p. 554; Beav. Ibis, 1866, p. 221, et 1867, p. 409, et 1869, p. 319, Lodirhamphus oceipitalis, Cass. U. 8. Expl. Exp. p. 205, pl. XIX (1858). Adult. Above bright greenish-blue, more decidedly greenish on the back and scapulars ; wing-coverts bright blue, deeper on the greater coverts; quills black, edged externally with rich blue; lower part of the back bright blue; tail blue above, black beneath, in certain lights obscurely verniculated, as also are the scapulars; lores white ; an occipital patch and a collar encircling the neck white; ear-coverts and a line of feathers encircling the nape greenish black ; entire under surface white ; bill black, yellowish at the base of the under mandible; feet olive-brown. Total length 9°5 inches, of bill from front 1:8, from gape 2°1, wing 4°3, tail 2°6, tarsus 0°6, middle toe 0°8, hind toe 0°3. Young. Similar to the adult, but duller in plumage, and the underside, which is profusely barred with narrow transverse edgings to the feathers, more tinged with buff ; the upper part of the back dull green and darker beneath the white collar, where it appears black; wing-coverts edged with fulvous. Hab. Coast of the Red Sea (Heuglin, Jesse), India, common in the Bengal Sunderbuns, extending into Aracan and Tenasserim (Jerdon), Siam (Schomburgk), Cochin China (Verreaur), Penang (Cantor), Andaman Islands (Beavan), Nicobar Islands (Blyth), Sumatra (Wallace), Java (Wallace, Bernstein), Bangka (mus. Lugd.), Philippine Islands (Cuming), Labuan (Motley), Borneo (Schwaner), Lombock (Wallace), Flores ( Wallace), Solor (Wallace), Timor (Wallace, Miiller), Celebes (Fraser), Gilolo ( Wallace, Bernstein), Batchian ( Wallace, Bernstein), Morty Island (Bernstein), Ternate (Bernstein), Amboina (Miiller), Ceram (Forsten), Banda (Forsten), Gagie Island ( Wallace), Mysol (Wallace), Aru Islands ( Wallace), Goram ( Wallace), New Guinea ( Miiller), Solomon Islands (Sclater). Very great variation in the shades of green and blue is observable in this species, for which I am unable to account as a sexual difference, as the females do not appear to be less brightly coloured than the males. I believe, therefore, that the brilliancy of plumage depends on the age of the bird, the green tints predominating in the more adult. I must observe, however, that birds from Indo-Malayana have the plumage very brilliant blue ; Mr. Gould has a specimen from Siam, agreeing with another in my collection from Penang in being smaller and having a shorter wing than in ordinary H. chloris. The latter specimen has rich buff flanks, and what is more curious still, seems from the vermiculations on the back of the neck to be an immature bird. This Siamese and Penang race may ultimately prove to be a distinct species, but it is to be remarked that in the same collection from Penang were two specimens of H. chloris identical with specimens from the Moluccas, so that it is impossible to believe in the distinctness of this race I have indicated from the material at present at our service. The bird which Cassin has figured (/.c.) as T. occipitalis is also represented in my collection from Java and Sumatra. ‘The eye-brow in specimens from these localities is certainly as a rule more distinct than in the birds from other places, but I have one Javan specimen in which the superciliary line is not more developed than in ordinary H. chloris, from which, indeed, it would be impossible to distinguish it, so that I think 7. occipitalis is nothing but a local race. To settle the question, however, it will be necessary to examine specimens from the Nicobar Islands, whence came the typical example, and this I have not yet had the opportunity of doing. In North Eastern Africa the following is Dr. von Heuglin’s experience of this species :— “The Green Kingfisher is a resident, entirely confined to the coast. It appears to extend its range to the far north in the Red Sea; is, however, common in the southern part and in the Gulf of Aden. Its favourite resorts are the bays and islands with muddy ground and surrounded with quondel and schora bushes. It feeds on fishes and crustacea. It fishes, but not always from overhanging boughs. i have also seen it hunting grasshoppers. The note is a shrill whistle. It nests in June, sometimes perhaps even in May, in holes in avicenna trees and in the neighbourhood of the tidal line. The young bird has blackish markings on the breast and sides. It certainly does not occur in Abyssinia (Verreaux, Schlegel). Altogether, I only know this Kingfisher as an inhabitant of the coast, and have never observed it even a few hundred paces from the water, that is on the main-land, over which it travels merely to pass over a tongue of land in the quickest way. Still the bird does visit lagoons in which rain-water has collected.” Mr. Jesse brought home two specimens from the Red Sea Coast, which I agree with Dr. O. Finsch in considering to be identical with the Indian bird. His notes were as follows :—“ Procured among the mangrove bushes on the shore of Annesley Bay. At that time they were plentiful, but had disappeared in June. I never saw it elsewhere while in Abyssinia or Bogos. Procured a pair, male and female; the latter, slightly paler in plumage, but moulting, had the appearance of being a younger bird.” Mr. Jerdon in the “‘ Birds of India’ makes the following observations :— “This Kingfisher is by no means uncommon in the Bengal Sunderbuns. It is also found in Arakan and along the Tenasserim Coast, extending into Malayana and the islands. It appears like the others of this genus to prefer the vicinity of the sea, or tidal rivers. A specimen, said to be from Madras, is in the Museum of the late East India Company ; but I think it doubtful if it was procured on the Madras Coast. Nothing is recorded of the habits of this bird.” Capt. Beavan has recorded this species from the Andaman Islands, where both he and Colonel Tytler found it tobe very common. He adds:—‘ It frequents the mangrove bushes along the edge of the shore, and is frequently seen to descend to the ground, feed on some- thing there (probably crustacea), and return to its perch after a short interval, apparently never diving into the water after fish like other species.” The following notes of the Yicomte de Bocarmé are given by Professor Schlegel (/.c.):— “This bird perches on the mango-trees, the tamarinds, and even on the leaves of the cocoa-nut trees. His cry resembles that of the Green Woodpecker. He has such a sharp eye that he will perceive, from the height of a lofty tree and at a distance of a hundred paces, an earth-worm of which only a piece an inch long is protruding from the ground ; this he seizes and draws the worm gently out of the hole, as if he was afraid of breaking it, and after having eaten it he goes and sits ona stump or astone. The action of its flight is slow, and contrasts with those of the true Kingfishers. It is common in all the high portions of the island of Java.” Bernstein (J. F. O. 1859, p. 189) says, that “in Western Java, particularly in the neighbourhood of my house, it was the commonest Kingfisher, and might be observed on almost every river or brook. It is generally seen sitting exposed on a branch or stone, watching patiently for a fish or insect, the latter forming its chief food. * * * * When on the wing its clear loud note is repeatedly heard, and sounds like Ka-Keh. | have repeatedly found it nesting near Gadok, in a steep bank of a brook. The nest is generally a plain hole in the earth, covered and protected by an over-hanging stone or bush. A few dry leaves and pieces of moss form the simple nest, on which the three or four white eggs, which are not very glossy, are laid. They are generally much dirtied by the soil, and only show their true colour when washed. Generally they are bluntly rounded at each end, but sometimes longish eges are found in the nest. They are 30 to 32 millimetres long, by 25 to 26 broad. In Labuan, says Mr. Motley, ‘This is a common bird ; it frequently perches upon high trees, and is usually met with near the sea-shore.” Near Banjermassing the same collector writes, that it particularly ‘‘ frequents the paddy-fields, and feeds on frogs.” The description and figure are taken from a Gilolo specimen in my collection, obtained from Mr. Wallace. HALCYON SORDIDA. HALCYON SORDIDA. (DULL-GREEN KINGFISHER.) Haleyon sordidus . : : ; : : Gould, P.Z.S. 1842, p. 72. Todiramphus sordidus . : ; ; : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 157 (1850). Sauropatis sordida. ; : : , ; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 59 (1860). Halcyon sordida, var. . : , : : Gray, P.Z.S. 1858, p. 172, unde. Sauropatis grayi . . : : : ; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 59 (1860). Haleyon grayt ; : : : : 5 Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 92 (1869). H. affinis H. chloridi sed paulld robustior, coloribus sordidioribus, pileo dorso-que sordidé viridibus. Hab. in sub-regione Austro-Malayana et in Australia septentrionali. Adult. Head dull blackish green, cheeks, ear-coverts and back of the head black; lores and a collar encircling the neck, white; uppermost portion of the back blackish green; scapulars dull green; wing-coverts dull green, somewhat tinged with blue, the primary coverts being entirely of this colour; quills black, the outer web conspicuously washed with bright blue ; lower portion of the back and rump dull cobalt ; tail blue above, black beneath; entire under-surface white, tinged with blue on the lower part of the flanks; bill black, the lower mandible yellowish at the base ; feet olive-brown. Total length 9°5 inches, of bill from front 2°0, from gape 25, wing 4:2, tail 3:0, tarsus 0°55, middle toe 0°9, hind toe, 0°5. Young. Similar to the adult, but has the breast thickly marked with brown edgings to the feathers, and the upper surface of the body dull brown, especially on the head and scapulars; the white nuchal spot is also a little more distinct. Hab. Northern Australia (Gould); Hope Isles (mus. Brit.), New Guinea (Schlegel) ; Aru Islands (Wallace). Mr. G. R. Gray has considered the bird from the Aru Islands to be different from the ordinary Australian form, but I cannot see any real distinctions, and as the New Guinea bird is, according to Professor Schlegel, absolutely identical with Australian specimens, it would be unreasonable to look for a different species in the Aru Islands. Additional references.—Halcyon sordida, Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846) ; Gould, B. of Austr. II, pl. 28 (1848) ; id. Intr. B. of Austr. p. 30 (1848); Reich. Vig. Neuholl. p. 209 (1850); Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 92 aes Todiramphus sordidus, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 32, t. eccexix, fig. 8136-37 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 12 (1852); Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854); Cass. U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 212 (1858); Gould, Handb. B. of Austr. I. p. 182 (1865.) Mr. E. P. Ramsay writes to me as follows :— ‘“‘ This bird is extremely rare in our collections, chiefly, I believe, from being mistaken for the common species. I have only seen two skins which are said to have been obtained at Moreton Bay. Its habits are doubtless the same as those of H. sanctus, but the eggs will probably turn out to be somewhat larger.”’ Mr. Gould in his “‘ Hand-book ” observes :— ‘* This fine Kingfisher, the largest of the genus Yodiamphus inhabiting Australia, is rather plentifully dispersed over the north-eastern portion of Queensland, or from Moreton Bay to Cape York. Its discovery is due to the late Mr. Bynoe, R.N., who obtained two examples on the North Coast, but the exact locality is unknown to me.” The front figure in the plate represents a fine specimen from Moreton Bay, given me by Mr. Gould, while the hinder figure is taken from a young bird procured by Mr. Wallace in the Aru Islands. The descriptions are from the same birds. * HALCYON FORSTENI Pawo roN FORSTEN TI. (FORSTEN’S KINGFISHER.) Haleyon Forsteni : : : Temm. M.S. in Mus. Lugd. unde. » ” F : : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 157 (1850). ; Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 93 (1869). Dacelo Forsteni : : 3 Schl. Mus. Pays Bas. Alced. p. 37 (1863). Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 29, 60, pl. 11 (1864). H. affinis H. chloridi, sed subtus nigro-viridi maculata. Hab. in insula “ Celebes”’ dicta. Head dark green, lighter along the sides and towards the nape ; ear-coverts and nape very deep green, looking almost black; back and scapulars very deep green; wing-coverts green, inclining to blue; quills black, lighter at the base, edged externally with greenish blue; tail greenish blue above, black beneath ; cheeks, a collar round the neck, and entire under surface white, blotched with dark blackish green, not so marked on the throat which is white ; a small loral spot white ; under wing-coverts blue ; upper mandible black, lower mandible pale yellow, black towards the tip. Total length 9 inches, of bill from front 1:9, from gape 2°2, wing 4°2, tail 2.6, tarsus 0-4, middle toe 0-75, hind toe 0.3. Hab. Celebes: Gorontalo (Forsten). Beyond the unique specimen in the Leiden Museum, which was obtained at Gorontalo by Dr. Forsten, I do not know of a single example in any Museum in Europe, and it is one of the greatest desiderata in the family Alcedinde. The description, measurements, and figure are from the type specimen in the Leiden Museum. HALCYON VAGANS. HALCYON VAGANS. (NEW ZEALAND KINGFISHER.) Alcedo sacra, var. D : 4 Lath. Syn. Suppl. p. 114. Alcedo sacra, var. € é : Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 295 (1823). Alcedo vagans . ; : : Less. Voy. Coq. I, p. 694 (1826). Alcedo chlorocephala, var. y ; Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 546 (1831). Haleyon vagans - ; : Gray, Voy. Ereb. & Terror, p. 3, pl. 1 (1844); id. Gen. of B. I, p. 79. (1846) ; id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 57 (1848); id. Ibis, 1862, p. 216; Layard, Ibis, 1863, p. 242; Hutton, Ibis, 1867, p- 379; Buller, Essay on Orn. of N. Z. p. 7 (1867); Finsch, Journ. f. Orn. 1867, p. 318; Buller, Trans. N. Z. Inst. I, p. 122 (1869); Hutton, /.c. I, p. 160; Potts, /.c. II, p. 52 (1870). Todirhamphus vagans . : : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 157 (1851); Reich. Handb. Alced. p. dl, t. cecexix, fig. 3188-89 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 12 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p 9 (1854); Cass. U. 8. Expl. Exp. p. 201 (1848). Dacelo sancta (pt-) . ? ‘ Schl. Cat. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 37 (1863). ITaleyon sanctus . ' 3 Finsch, Journ. f. Orn. 1870, p. 246. Alcedo cyanea F ; Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 76 (1844), Kotare of the natives of New Zealand ( Potts). Hi. similis 7. sancte, sed major: coloribus sordidioribus. Hab. in Novi Zeelandia. Adult. Head dull green, brighter over the eye; lores buff; ear-coverts and the back of the neck black; an occipital patch buffy white; upper part of the back blackish ; scapulars dull olive-green ; least wing-coverts dull green, rest of the wing-coverts brighter een washed with blue; quills black, externally washed with cobalt; lower portion of the back brighter green, inclining to cobalt on the upper tail-coverts; tail black, clearly washed with blue above; sides and back of the neck arid under-surface of the body buff; bill black ; yellowish at the base; feet olive brown. Total length 8-4 inches; of bill from front 19., from gape 2°4; wing 3°85; tail 2°9; tarsus 0.5. Young. Similar to the adult but has the colours everywhere duller, and the hinder neck and breast crossed with narrow brown edgings to the feathers. Hab. New Zealand (Haast, Buller, Potts). This species I consider to be distinct from H. sanctus, which it represents in New Zea- land. It is always of a more robust size, and has the colours much less bright. Professor Schlegel and Dr. Finsch, however, unite it to the before-mentioned bird. Until a recent period we knew little about the habits of the New Zealand Kingfisher. Layard (/.c.) says that it is “common throughout the Northern Island; it fishes equally in salt and fresh water, and devours also grasshoppers and Girylle of all kinds, caterpillars, moths, and butterflies.” Capt. Hutton, writing from Epsom, in the Province of Auckland, on the 11th of January, 1867, observes:—“In the winter the Kingfisher lives about the town, and often eats insects in the fields: the first bird I saw on landing was one in the barrack square; now they are all by the river, breeding.’”’ The last-named Naturalist obtained it on Great Barrier Island, and Dr. Haast also procured it on Bank’s Peninsula. The above-mentioned notices comprise, I believe, all that was known concerning the present species up to a recent date. We are, however, indebted to Mr. T. H. Potts for a very complete account of its nesting-habits (/.c.) :— ‘‘One of our burrowing species. The tunnel-like hole which forms the approach to its nest is found sometimes in a bank, and perhaps quite as often in a tree. On examining one of these holes in a bank not far from the a Ba the floor or bottom was observed to incline slightly upwards from the entrance; the eggs, deposited on the remains of crustacea, being not more than one foot back from the outside of the hole. When a tree has been selected for its house, we have been led sometimes to the discovery by observing the quantity of chips lying beneath ; its powerful bill soon excavates a nesting-place in the partially- decayed wood. ‘The situation varies from a few feet to above thirty feet from the ground. The eggs are pure glossy white, delicate and very beautiful, more fragile, perhaps, than those of most other species, oval in shape, with a length of 1 inch $ line by a breadth of 103 lines. After hatching, the nest is carefully cleared of the broken shells. The young remain in the nest till well fledged and apparently almost full-grown. On examining the castings of the Kingfisher, which are often to be met with in abundance near a nest con- taining young, we have observed that the external wing-cases of Coleoptera have formed one of the principal ingredients of the pellets. We have noted that a nest from which the young emerged late in November, again contained eggs in January. Our Halcyon must lay a much smaller number of eggs than the English Kingfisher. Although this bird may be constantly seen occupying some prominent branch or stake when watching for its prey (which, by the way, is of a very miscellaneous character), yet, when approaching or leaving its nest, it always, where possible, seeks the screen of overhanging trees as it swiftly darts through the gully, permitting but a glance of its bright showy feathers. Should any one approach too close to the neighbourhood of its breeding-hole, the parent bird utters a low cry, like cree-cree-cree, frequently repeated. Our bird is much more sociable than its Euro- pean relative, which is so remarkable for its solitary habits that it has been stated that the male and female only associate together at the breeding season. We have counted as many as eight of our Kingfisher sitting together, and after a heavy rain we have observed on our lawn several of the croquet-hoops occupied at one time by these striking-looking birds. It is rarely to be seen on the ground; after darting down, either in the water or on land, and securing its booty, it immediately flies with it to some perch or post of vantage and prepares it for deglutition by administering some smart blows with its bill, the sound of which may often be distinctly heard. During the breeding-season it indulges in a monotonous call of chirup, chirup, chirup, then a pause—the call and pause alternating for a considerable time. Fish, crustacea, young birds, mice, coleoptera, bees, and other insects, furnish some portion of the food-supply of the Kingfisher ; we have often noticed its rapid dart at a brood of young chickens. This bird is one of those fortunate species whose numbers seem rather to increase than diminish at the approach of civilization.” The description of the adult is taken from the oldest specimen I could find in the British Museum, that of the young bird being from one of Dr. Haast’s specimens given me by Dr. Finsch. The plate is drawn from the same birds, Ww Si eteiriran i alutelys shart ut) dt bitty ‘dys: rth ete “elt, ‘ 0 ey ma satis fac *i iat at) del aitladt Pian yt wy Ae screenees Os ro) MD SY SB ee if. Soya: Tab egissacs: iok wr md: rramital nl Higgh Boned iia! ae) dentgurtt name cod) isch eyo. > nye nod: odate id! Volta tnastiewrn; occ ia nvlyt oe KMiswints avosnilloowiac yrs7 s vi a2o70 ppiyensaerowroa ats wobec pote’ en Loti etorbast ae UMASS TU - wil te gore, 2 roowtad ati t6 Boob: PORE Qed an te tac x, Tate: Js bing nhs ee p>. oe i pare pfs VV pret ; ost t] me Pe durrd weet dicen: dean ilies O11¥ wart 4 lrix in xa Wid Dernitest ie yout od oa gi ati Atala’: MAY, alt Ker thet lt, dunwile: plait i voilel! ti # Sits fal meno: ats joeshyhoad) ja fF . Abas lip te iy ve) Fite ST Lard eel cf af by Bohivor'l sii) ai picheyl Luvana ; tt bal peovil qwheientA oh oitiyte Sale i me C mew sit bil 10 wee 4 frrid decit oilh tal P Yotitad- fen oi ry a ane : a ey = Ait ee z ea 1 a "diunel eis faainon: f ditt nti ! cla Bt masta ny Ra iat? uinl a eal sat He (7s Hw hy itu ha"). i povin afdlqands tiv a ath an M1 Alt oO} ] dyin sd aos esisfor tort oxtl-farrin? yl T ‘] ass eC 2/0! | i riot 88 (Op Ais fice tye isin ; i ) at Gear tere. io he mH ah donge- as a rehe godt 1d rut Mo rity oil ne featianuh Ue Aad eee te oil ac Hh ood acl’ Wi Haat oi toiled ny ols ory So. Seton praedks ed RO eth $A AF sintiemtge J Pst op ty thaldvent af Bona riya), SRowa ANd) bees Be eneit 1o8 wtih wride ys 198} eA ape Syita- ro) ie ‘i albert event axis FYNT fuse’ Shan ba! eat 11a4 aw nite + re th 4 te 7 mv nits a hil fre bie hd orrtaeem . Was} mids ayteud wd We by ness riled es feois onl? Seto! ina — pt) amie, f° tarOUe ite NUR Tit in aebbit faye LF be fat 4 Seon Rae nln af Maberdatet ath da wasto ie) Ene hy on OTR : ar tahy\ ) ie Re anal tg tes Teel Peat on} OCB aH Anes jagn a tad Beton saad oy LS a 130% pliner gove tt * uti i bunitticlont ht ad: As ras Uy yt ‘ he 2, ehage ery Fit ‘tin “we t sid Withee ts ore wae fr Ae banc int pence He Gite coy Tie ge ag esa lca oa Wal Peter eats at oh aot! Ly’? WL ng ano r } 4 pile! a oni a de Py gb yo rie nag oil) adn ee .. - *. “ - 1 . : -J + . 4 : 1j , 1 Pp . baal} wot] p. , oy AA : ’ oh ~ "\e "ties i} os ri y eae, HALCYON SANCTA. HALCYON SANCTUS. (SACRED KINGFISHER.) Sacred Kingfisher : : Philipps, Bot. Bay, p. 156; White, Voy. N. 8S. W. p. 193, pl. 17 (1790). Alcedo sacra, var. ; : Shaw, Gen. Zool. VIII, p. 78 (1811). Haleyon sacra. . : Steph. Gen. Zool. XIII, p. 98 (1825); Jard. and Selby, Ill. of Orn. I, pl. 96, 97 (nec. Gm.). Dacelo chlorocephala, var. b. . Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 246 (1831). Halcyon sanctus . ; : Vig. & Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. XV, p. 206 (1826, deser. orig.). Todirhamphus sanctus . : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 156 (1850). Sauropatis sancta . E ¢ Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 158 (1860). Dacelo sancta ‘ : . Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 35 (1863). Haleyon collaris (err.) . : Vig. & Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. XV, p. 206 (1826); Gould, Syn. B. of Austr. III, plate (1838). Todirhamphus australasie . Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 12 (1852, nec Vieill.). H. affinis H. chloridi sed multo minor et subtus leetd fulva. Hab. in insulis subregionis Indo-Malayanz et in tota subregione Austro-Malayana. Adult Male. ead dull blueish-green, a cincture of bright cobalt from the eye encircling the head, which has the eyebrow and an occipital patch buffy white; ear-coverts and a band encircling the nape black, slightly tinged with green; lores, sides and back of the neck, forming a broad collar, pale buff; upper part of the.back and scapulars green; wing-coverts and lower portion of the back bright blue; quills black, fulvous on the inner web, the outer web, especially of the secondaries, edged with bright blue; tail blue above, greyish-black beneath; throat white; rest of the under surface of the body rich buff, deeper. on the flanks, with a patch of brown feathers on each side of the upper part of the breast; bill black, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; feet dusky-olive ( Wallace). Total length 8 inches, of bill from front 1:6, from gape 1°9, wing 3°7, tail 2°3, tarsus 0:4, middle toe 0°7, hind toe 0°3. Additional references.—Haleyon sanctus, Gould, Syn. B. of Austr. III, pl. (1838); Gray, Gen. of B. T . 79 (1846); Gould, B. of Austr. IT, pl. 21 (1848); id. Intr. to B. of Austr. p. 30 (1848); Gray, Cat. Fiss. rit. Mus. p. 56 (1848); Reich. Vig. Neuholl. p. 83 (1850); Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Elsey P. Z. 8. 1857, p. 25; Gray, P. Z. 5. 1858, p. 172, et 1859, pp. 154, 160; id. Cat. B. N. Guin. p. 20 (1859) ; id. Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacif. Oc. p. 6 (1859); id. P. Z. S. 1860, p. 346, et 1861, p. 433; id. Ibis, 1862, p. 216: Hartl. & Finsch, P. Z. S. 1868, pp. 110, 118; Sel. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 119; Diggles, Orn. of Austr. pt. 2 (1869); Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 92 (1869). Todirhamphus sanctus, Reich. Handb. Alced p. 33, t. eccexviii, fig. 3131-33; Cass. U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 214 (1858) ; Wall. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 338, et 1863, pp. 23, 484; Gould, Handb. B. of Austr. I, p. 128 (1865); Rams. Ibis, 1866, p. 827. Dacelo sancta, Schl. Vig. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp- 27, 59, pl. 10 (1864); Finsch, Neu Guinea, p. 161 (1865). Female. Similar to the male, but duller in plumage. Young. General colouration as in the old birds, but very much paler and duller; fore- head distinctly marked with buff ; wing-coverts edged with fulvous; under surface of the body barred with brown, each feather being edged with this colour; bill black, white at the tip, dirty yellow at the base. Hab. Australia generally (Gould, Ramsay), Norfold Island (G. R. Gray), New Caledonia (mus. R. B. S.), Loyalty Islands (mus. Brit.), Pelew Islands (Semper), New Guinea (Miiller), Salawati (von Rosenberg), Aru Islands ( Wallace), Goram ( Wallace), Ceram (Wallace), Amboina (Forsten), Waigiou (Wallace), Gilolo (Wallace, Bernstein), Ternate (Bernstein), Bouru (Wallace), Sula Islands (Wallace), Borneo (diiller), Lombock (Wallace), Java (W. T. Fraser ; mus. R. B. S.). Mr. George Robert Gray has given New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands as localities — where the Sacred Kingfisher occurs, but as there are no specimens in the British Museum from these places I agree with Mr. Sclater in considering them not thoroughly authentic, and I must wait for further information before including “them in my list of habitats. Mr. Gould gives the range of the present species in ‘Australia in'the following words :— “The Sacred Kingfisher is very generally dispersed over the Australian continent. I have specimens from nearly every locality ; those from Port Essington in the north are precisely identical with those of the south coast ; on the other hand, those inhabiting Western Australia are a trifle larger in all their measurements, but otherwise present no differences of sufficient importance to warrant their being considered as distinct. It does not inhabit Tasmania.” Specimens are in my collection from New Caledoniv and from most of the islands of the Malay Archipelago, where it is generally distributed, ranging as far north as Borneo and Java, from which latter island my friend Mr. W. T. Fee has forwarded examples to me. The following extracts from Mr. Gould’s “ Handbook” give a good account of its habits :— ‘The gaiety of its plumage renders it a conspicious object in the bush; its loud piercing call, also, often betrays its presence, particularly during the season of incubation, when the bird becomes more clamorous as the tree in which its eggs are deposited is approached by the intruder. The note most frequently uttered is a loud pee-pee, continued at times to a great length, resembling a cry of distress. It sits very upright, generally perching on a “small dead branch for hours together, merely flying down to capture its prey, and in most instances returning again to the site it has just left. Its food is of a very mixed character, and varies with the nature of the localities it inhabits. It greedily devours mantes, grasshoppers, caterpillars, lizards and very small snakes, all of which are swallowed whole, the latter being killed by beating their heads against a stone or other hard substance, after the manner of the Common Kingfisher. Specimens killed in the neighbourhood of salt marshes had their stomachs literally crammed with crabs and other crustaceous animals, while intent on the capture of which it may be observed sitting silently on the low mangrove bushes skirting the pools which every receding tide leaves either dry or with a surface of wet mud upon which crabs are to be found in abundance. — I have never seen it plunge into the water after fish like the true Kingfishers, and I believe it never resorts to that mode of obtaining its prey. On the banks of the Hunter its most favourite food is the larve of a species s of ant which it procures by excavating holes in the nests of this insect, which are constructed around the holes and dead branches of the eucalypti, and which resemble excrescences of the tree itself. The season of nidification commences in October and lasts till December, the hollow spouts of the gum and holes of the apple-tree (angophore) being generally selected as a receptacle for the eggs, which are four or five in number, of a pinky- white, one inch and a line in length, and ten lines in dameter.” > For the following interesting particulars I am indebted to my friend Mr. E. P. Ramsay, of Dobroyde, N.S.W., who is so well-known as an accurate and keen observer of the habits of Australian birds :— “This the ‘Common Kingfisher’ in the neighbourhood of Sydney, ‘is universally dispersed over the whole Continent of Australia. Specimens from New South Wales seem to be the largest, and those from the mangrove swamps of Port Denison the smallest variety. In some of the New South Wales specimens the tint on the back takes a greenish shade instead of blue, and the breast is more or less marked with brown becoming pure white or buff in some of the adults. This bird is not migratory, although many more are seen during the breeding season than in the winter. They usually select the arboreal nest of the White Ants, wherein, after digging a tunnel to the length of 12 or 18 inches, they excavate a chamber large enough to turn round in, and on the debris at the bottom lay four or five white glossy eggs, 1°05 inches in length by ‘85 inches in breadth. Some lazy individuals prefer the hollow branches of trees to the trouble of tunnelling in the ants’ nests, while the more energetic prefer the bank of a creek or waterhole, where in the soft earth they dig out a house for their young. Although this bird shows no preference for the vicinity of water, being equally numerous in the driest parts of the country, I have noticed them take fish after the manner of the true Alcyone. One has lately taken up his abode in the willow-trees which overhang a large dam in the Dobroyde Gardens, where he spends his time catching insects from the surface of the water and occasionally a stray fish or two. These birds return year after year to the same places to breed and occupy the same holes.” The foremost figure in the plate is drawn from an Australian specimen in my collection, and from this the description is likewise taken. The hindermost figure represents a very deeply coloured specimen from Java, sent to me by Mr. Fraser. & yes as + ~ oa aie i, : ¢ 4 a > bi -_ an lw ; Hp Vee ba j t Le aie ‘? ie ee wit ae beta aie ¥ 13h | a, tatapee a ont te, r Sie pa as F4 HALCYON FUNEBRIS. HALCYON FUNEBRIS. (SAD-COLOURED KINGFISHER.) Haleyon funebris ; : : ; y : Forsten, MS. in Mus. Lugd. undé Todirhamphus funebris : : - : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 151 (1860). Dacelo funebris ; ; ‘ ; : F Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 40 (1863). H. rostro nigro, mandibula versus basin fulvescenti: dorso postico et uropygio viridibus: pileo et dorso summo nigricanti-brunneis: cinctu capitali albo, viridi-cyaneo tincto. Hab. in insula ‘‘ Gilolo”’ dicta. Head deep black; lores and a band encircling the head white, washed with a distinct sea-green lustre; ear-coverts and a collar round the back of the neck deep black ; cheeks and sides of the neck extending backwards and forming a nuchal collar white, slightly tinged with buff; upper surface of the body dull brown, slightly washed with green on the wing-coverts, primaries and tail-feathers ; lower portion of the back and rump dull green ; entire under surface of the body white, with a large brown patch on each side of the upper part of the breast, and the flanks also marked with brown; bill black, yellowish brown on the under mandible; feet blackish; iris dull olive. Total length 10 inches, of bill from front 1°9, from gape 2°4, wing 4°4, tail 3:1, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 0°9, hind toe 0°45. Hab. Gilolo ( Wallace). Prince Bonaparte, who published the name of this species for the first time, gave ** Celebes” as its habitat, but this has since been shown to be erroneous, and there can be no doubt that the range of the Sad-Coloured Kingfisher is limited to the island of Gilolo. Nothing has as yet been recorded of its habits. My description and figure are taken from a specimen in my collection obtained in Gilolo by Mr. Wallace. ae dD | z- wt Te. wa . a... "| a a TODIRAMPHUS VENERATUS. eo le TODIRHAMPHUS VENERATUS. Venerated Kingfisher Alcedo venerata Todirhamphus divinus Haleyon venerata Haleyon tuta Alcedo collaris Dacelo nullitorqus . Halcyon tutu (err) Todirhamphus venerata Todirhamphus divina Haleyon venerata Haleyon sacra, pt. . Coporhamphus veneratus . (SOCIETY ISLANDS’ KINGFISHER.) Lath. Gen. Syn. I, p. 623 (1772). Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 453.(1788, ex Lath.); Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 251 (1790). Less. Voy. Coq. I, p. 687 (1826); id. Mem. Soe. d’Hist. Nat. If, p. 419, pl. 12 (1827); id. Man. d’Orn. p. 101 (1828); id. Traité d’Orn. p. 250 (1831) ; Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 12 (1852); id. U. S. Expl. Exp. pp. 199, 217, pl. xviii (1858). Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846); Pelz. Sitz. Akad. Wien. Xx, p. 503 (1856); id. Reis. der Novara, p. 47 (1865); Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centr. Polyn. p. 43 (1867). Gray, Gen. of B. I. p. 79 (1846). Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 162 (1844). Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 155, pl. 42, fig. 1 (1848); Hartl. Archiv. f. Naturg. p. 110 (1852). Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 58 (1848). Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 33 (1851). Reich. Handb. Aleed. p. 34 (1851). Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacif. Oc. p. 6 (1859). Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacif. Oc. p. 6 (1859). Cab. Mus. Hein. II, p. 160 (1860). Erooro and Buru of the Natives of Otaheite (Forsten, Zelebor). T. supra viridis, sub certa luce brunnescens : Hab. in Oceania. torque nuchali nullo. Adult. Upper surface green, inclining to verdigris, especially above the eye, where there isa distinct superciliary stripe of this latter colour; lores, cheeks and sides of the neck white, tinged with rust-colour; quills and tail blackish, washed with bluish-green ; entire under surface of the bod upper part of the breast; bill black, with a reddish tinge. white, with a very distinct tinge of rust-colour on the ack, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; Total length 75 inches, of bill from front 1°3, from gape 1°6, feet wing 3: 8, tail 3°7, tarsus 0°6, middle toe 0°6, hind toe 0°35. Young. Similar to the adult, but the colours more tinged with brown on the upper surface ; the breast crossed by an irregular band of brown feathers varied with white. Another specimen, apparently a still younger bird, is dull brown above, with a tinge of green on the sides and back of the head and with a bronzy gloss on the crown; the wing- coverts narrowly edged with yellowish brown, and the band across the breast very distinet and not varied with white. Hab. Society Islands: Otaheite (Forster), Huaheine (Forster), Raiatea (Forster), Otaha (Forster), Borabora (Lesson). Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub consider the Alcedo tuta of Gmelin (ex Latham’s ‘‘ Respected Kingfisher”) to be the same as this species, but I think in this they are not quite correct, for [ believe that the bird I have described as Todirhamphus tutus is really Latham’s species. As with the other allied Kingfishers, the utmost confusion exists as to the true habitat of the present bird. Latham gives the locality whence his specimens were obtained as “Apye,” in the Society Islands. This place is not mentioned on any of the maps I have examined, unless Hapai in the Friendly Islands is intended. Again the Vienna Museum possesses a specimen marked as coming from New Caledonia, given to the Novara - Expedition by Dr. Deplanche, a resident in Papeete, a town of Otaheite. Some mistake has probably occurred, for I much doubt if the species is ever found in New Caledonia, and in this M. Jules Verreaux, who has perhaps examined more birds from this locality than any living Ornithologist, tells me that he has never heard of its being met with there. I believe, therefore, that the present species is confined to the Society Islands, and certainly further reliable information is required before this range can be extended. Herr Zelebor, the Naturalist accompanying the late Novara Expedition, says that in Otaheite this bird is regarded as sacred by the inhabitants, who call it Buru. The note is described by him as follows:—‘ Zak-zak-sak-sak-arr-arr.”’ Mr. Peale (/.c.), writing of the species observed by him in Otaheite, remarks:— ‘In the secluded valleys, the dead silence which generally prevailed was now and then disturbed by the garrulity of a homely bird, the subject of our present description, as it flew from one dead tree to another, where, watching for its prey which consists of insects, it is usually silent.” The descriptions are taken from specimens kindly lent to me from the Vienna Museum by Herr von Pelzeln, the well-known Director of the Imperial Cabinet. I have great pleasure in returning my best thanks to him for sending the specimens to England for description. The same birds are figured in the plate, the third bird being in my own collection. - TODIRAMPHUS RECURVIROSTRIS. TODIRHAMPHUS RECURVIROSTRIS., (FLAT-BILLED KINGFISHER. ) Todirhamphus recurvirostris : : , : Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1842, p. 134. Coporhamphus recurvirostris : : 7 i Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 160 (1860). Halcyon recurvirostris ; : : ‘ ‘ Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centr. Polyn. p. 41 (1867). Halcyon platyrostris . ; : , < ; Gould, P. Z.S. 1842, p. 72. Todirhamphus platyrostris . : : : : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 156 (1850). Dacelo minima : , : ; : : Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 159, pl. 145 (1848). Tiacalla, of the Natives of Upolu (Gréffe). T. viridis: torque collari fulvo: subtus fulvus. Hab. in insulis ‘‘ Samoa” dictis maris Pacifici. Upper surface of the body bright blueish-green ; lores and a very distinct eyebrow white tinged with buff ; a nuchal patch of feathers buffy white ; a broad collar round the neck buff; quills black, buffy white at the base, externally edged with blueish-green ; _ tail blue above, black beneath; throat white, extending down on to the breast; breast rich buff; bill black, yellow at the base of the under mandible; feet reddish brown. Total length 6°5 inches, of bill from front 1:35, from gape 1°65, wing 3°3, tail 1°5, tarsus 0:4, middle toe 0°6, hind toe 0°25. Hab. Samoa or Navigator’s Islands ; Upolu (Peale, Grije). Mr. Gould and Baron de Lafresnaye both described this species in the year 1842, but the latter gentleman’s name has priority by one month. Its range seems to be restricted to the group of the Samoa or Navigator’s Islands, having been brought thence recently by Dr. Griiffe, who has been collecting in this locality for Mr. J. César Godeffroy, of Hamburg. In colour the present species is a diminutive representation of the well-known Halcyon sanctus, and like that species appears to vary in the blue and green tints of its plumage according to sex and age. ‘The curious flat bill, however, separates it generically from all the green group of the genus Halcyon. Additional references.—Zodirhamphus recurvirostris, Reich. Handb. Aleed. p. 35 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 11 (1852), et U.S. Expl. Exp. pp. 198, 216, pl. xvii (1858). Haleyon platyrostris, Gray, Gen. of B. I, p- 79 (1846) ; id. Cat. Fiss Brit. Mus. p. 58 (1848); id. Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacif. Oc. p. 6 (1859). Dacelo minima, Hartl. Archiv. f. Naturg. 1852, p. 111. The following notice, given by Mr. Peale (/.c.), is all that I can discover to have been published on the habits of the Flat-billed Kingfisher :— ‘“‘ This is the smallest species of the genus observed by the members of the Expedition. It was found at the Island of Upolu, one of the Samoan or Navigator’s Group, and there confined itself within the recesses of the forest. In manners it much resembles the Jacamars (Galbule) of South America, sitting for hours, as they frequently do, to watch for passing prey. It prefers the shady humid woods ; there the snap of its bill, while catching insects by darting from its perch, will probably first call the attention of the hunter to it. Like most of its congeners it is noisy, but its notes have nothing but their peculiarity to recom- mend them. The females are similar to the males in dimensions and appearance, but they are not so deeply coloured, and the blue inclines to a green.” My description and figure are taken from a specimen collected in Upolu by Dr Griiffe, and kindly given to me by Mr. Godeffroy. I must regard the figures given by Cassin (l.c.) as rather too highly coloured. = Fo ee aay TODIRAMPHUS TUTUS. Pererrt Aw PHUS: TULUS. (OTAHEITE KINGFISHER.) Respected Kingfisher : : , ; Lath. Gen. Syn. I, p. 624 (1772). Alcedo tuta : : Z : ; Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 453 (1788, ex Lath.); Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 251 (1790). Todirhamphus tuta (pt.) . F 5 é Cass. U.S. Expl. Exp. pp. 192, 206, pl. xv., fig. 3 only (1858). Todirhamphus tutus ; . F R Sclater, P. Z.S. 1864, p. 9. Todirhamphus sacer ; . ; : Less. Voy. Coq. I, p. 686 (1826); id. Mem. Soc. d’Hist. Paris, III, p. 11; id. Man. d’Orn. II, p. 100 (1828); id. Nat. Traité d’Orn. p. 249 (1831). Coporhamphus sacer ‘ : ; : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. I, p. 160 (1860). Todirhamphus sacra ; me ar F Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 34, t. eccexxiil, figs. 3148-49 (1851). Haleyon sacra : : ; : : Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacif. Oc. p. 6 (1859) ; id. Handl. of Bdap.93. Dacelo sacra a, : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 38 (1863). Kooto-o-00 of the Natives of Otaheite. T. collo postico albo: subtus albus. Hab. in Oceania. Adult. Head green, forehead white as well as a broad eyebrow extending backwards and encircling the neck; below this another broad line of black washed with green, also encircling the neck; back and sides of the neck white, forming a broad collar; upper surface of the body green tinged with blue, especially on the rump and upper wing-coverts ; tail blue above, greyish black beneath; under surface of the body white; bill black, depressed, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; feet olive brown. ‘Total length 8-0 inches, of bill from front 1:4, from gape 1°8, wing 4:0, tail 2°7, tarsus 0°65, middle toe 0°65, hind toe 0°3. Young. Wead dull green ; forehead and superciliary line indicated by a few buffy- white feathers; back and scapulars brown, with a faint lustre of green here and there, the nuchal collar indicated by a few buffy-white feathers ; wing-coverts, lower portion of the back and rump greenish blue, broadly margined with fulvous ; quills and tail brown, washed with green ; under surface of the body dull white, the feathers of the upper part of the breast edged with brown ; bill black, yellow at the base of the under mandible ; feet olive brown. ‘Total length 8 inches, of bill 1°35, wing 3°9. Hab. Otaheite (mus. Brit.). Marquesas Islands (mus. Lugd.). The confusion which has existed respecting the present species is probably unparalleled in the annals of Ornithological Science, and it will be seen by the list of synonyms given above that since Latham’s time the species has not been recognised except by Dr. Sclater (/.c.). This is the more curious, as the bird is by no means rare in Museums and always comes from the locality ‘‘ Otaheite”’ which was correctly indicated by Latham. In the British Museum there is a good series, but the species having been erroneously identified in the first instance as Halcyon sacra (Gm.), of course all conclusions drawn respecting the allied species are erroneous also. Latham’s description is so good, mentioning particularly the flat bill, that I am at a loss to understand why, with the most ample material at his disposal, Mr. G. R. Gray should have failed to correctly recognise the bird. But he is not singular in this respect, for in most Museums the present species is called H. sacra. I have carefully avoided giving any synonymy which I cannot certify, and I have restricted the identified localities to the “ Society Islands” and the ‘‘ Marquesas Islands,” the authority for the latter habitat being Professor Schlegel, who has specimens from those islands in the Leiden Museum. That the bird occurs there is most probable, though Prof. Schlegel does not give the name of the collector who obtained them. The young bird of Todirhamphus tutus is remarkable, and differs so conspicuously from that of Todirhamphus veneratus that it is impossible to confound the two species. On the other hand, I expect that further researches in Otaheite will discover the fact that the present species when very old gets the head pure white, as in old Halcyon albicilla and Halcyon sacra, but the flat bill will always distinguish it from these two species, and it is also a much smaller bird. Mr. Wodehouse says, that in Huaheine this Kingfisher is called Otatare; “ builds its nest in the mountains and is the terror of the little native girls, as he swoops down on their little pet pullets.” . To Mr. Gould I am indebted for the loan of the specimens from which the figures and descriptions have been taken. Both old and young birds are in his collection. ee a ee CARCINEUTES PULCHELLUS. (BANDED KINGFISHER.) Dacelo pulchella é : Horsf. Linn. Trans. xiii. p. 175 (1822). Halcyon ,, : . Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 (c. 1844). Lacedo ,, : : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 42, t. cecexxix. fig. 3168-9 (1851). Carcineutes pulchellus, . Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. ii. p. 163 (1860). Dacelo buccoides : : Temm. Pl. Col. 586. C. plumis dorsi nigris, fasciis celatis albis, et thalassino-cceruleo terminatis: cauda nigra, fasciis extus ceruleis intus albis transyittataé: fronte, genis, regione parotica, colloque postico rufis. wm. toto diversa: supra nigra, fasciis ochraceis vittata, dorsi, tectricam alarum et caude fasciis latioribus : subtus alba : pectore et hypochon- driis nigro transradiolatis. Hab. in regione Indo-Malayana. Head, nape, back and wing coverts black, each feather banded with white and tipped with shining blue; tail black, banded with blue and white; primaries black, secondaries spotted and tipped with white; forehead, cheeks and a collar below the nape deep chesnut; throat white; upper part of the breast and flanks pale brownish red; centre of abdomen and under wing-coverts lighter; bill deep red; eyes brown olive; feet buffy ochre yellow. Female, above black broadly banded with ochre; under surface white, with the upper part of the breast and flanks banded with black. Total length 9 inches. Length of bill from front 1.4, from gape 1.8, wing 3.4, tail 2.7, tarsus .4, middle toe .5, hind toe .3. Hab. Mergui (Blyth), Burmah (Mason), Sumatra (Mus. Hein.), Java (Horsfield, Wallace). Malacca (Cantor, Wallace). Dr. Horsfield, the original describer, in his ‘‘ Zoological Researches in Java,” says :— ‘‘ This is an extremely rare and local bird, and I found it once only, in alow range of hills about twenty miles south-east of Samarang, known in the central parts of the island by the name of the hills of Prowoto. Here a single bird was obtained in the forest.” Although numerous specimens have reached Europe from the island of Java since Additional References.—D. pulchella, Horsf. Zool. Res. in Java, pl. (1824); Temm. PI. Col. 277 ; Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 46 (1849); Moore, P.Z.S. 1854, p. 268: Horsf. and Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co. I. p. 122 (1854); Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 21(1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 15, 50, pl. v. (1864); HW. pulchella, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus., p. 52 (1848); Bonap. Cons. Gen, Av. I. p. 154 (1850); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 7 (1852); Pelz. Voy. Nov. Vog. p. 41 (1865). the date of Dr. Horsfield’s memoir, it does not appear to be a very common species there, and Schlegel observes, that ‘‘ it is very rare in Java and Sumatra.” In my own collection I have a pair which were procured at Indramaijoe, near Cheri- bon, Java, and Mr. Wallace possesses specimens also from that island. On the Malay Peninsula, however, it seems to be very common. I have several specimens from Malacca, where the bird was also obtained by Dr. Cantor. Mr. Blyth says (J. c.), it has been met with at Mergui, and he informs me that he has received specimens from the Southern Tenasserim provinces. To my kind friend Mr. Wallace, I am indebted for the following note, as regards its habits :— ‘* Carcineutes pulchellus is found in the thickets near streams, where it seems to feed chiefly on small crabs, which it picks up off the mud. I found it in Malacca and Java.” According to Schlegel, the young, on leaving the nest are similar to the adults, but have the beak brown. The figures in the accompanying plate represent the old male and female, and are taken from specimens in the Leiden Museum. Se t ey ‘ hey Oe oe ¥ eat ff . oF CARCINEUTES MELANOPS, (BLACK-CHEEKED KINGFISHER.) Dacelo melanops, . . : - Temm. Ms, Mus. Lugd. 9» ” . é ; Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 21 (1863). 99 » . : 5 », Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 16,51, pl. 5 (1864), Halcyon melanops, : : : Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 154 (1850). re Pe zy é : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 7 (1852). Lacedo melanops, : : : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 42 (1851). Carcineutes melanops . ; ; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 163, note (1860). C. plumis dorsi nigris, fasciis celatis albis, et thalassino-cceruleo terminatis: cauda nigra, fasciis extus eeruleis intus albis transvittata: fronte, genis, regione parotica, colloque postico nigerrimis. Fem. adhuc ignota. Hab. in insula ‘‘ Borneo”’ dicta. Head, nape, back and wing-coverts black, each feather banded with white and tipped with shining blue; tail black, banded with blue and white; primaries black, secondaries spotted and tipped with white; forehead, cheeks and a collar below the nape deep black ; throat white; upper part of the breast and flanks pale brownish red; centre of abdomen and under wing-coverts lighter; bill deep red; feet buffy ochre yellow. Total length 7.5 inches, of bill from front 1.2, from gape 1.6, wing 3.2, tail 2.4, tarsus 0.07, middle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.3. Hab. Borneo (Mus. Lugd). This rare species is apparently almost unrepresented in collections in this country, the only specimen which I have as yet met with being a young male in my own collection, from Borneo. It seems to be entirely confined to the latter island, and is very similar to the Malaccan C. pulchellus, but differs from it in having the forehead, cheeks and nuchal collar black instead of rufous. The female is still unknown, but it will doubtless be like that of its Malaccan representative. The measurements are taken from the specimen in my own collection, while the large figure in the plate is drawn from the adult bird in the Leiden Museum (No. 1 of Schlegel’s Cat.), the small figure representing the young bird. The blue on the back of the latter is paler than in the adult, and the beak is brownish with a yellowish streak on the under mandible. MONACHALCYON MONACHUS. MONACHALCYON MONACHUS. (HOODED KINGFISHER.) Dacelo princeps F : : Forsten, M.S. Dacelo cyanocephalus : ; : Forsten, M.S. Dacela monachus : é ; : Temm. M.S. in Mus, Lugd: Gray Cat. Fiss. Brit.Mus. p. 53 : (1848); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 46, (1849). Haleyon monachus. , : ; Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 154 (1850 ex Temm.); Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 8 (1852); Wall. Ibis, (1862), p. 142. Paraleyon monachus . f ‘ ; Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). Monachaleyon princeps : ‘ : Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 38, t. cccexxv, fig. 8157 (1851). Halcyon princeps ; , , : Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 8 (1852). Dacelo princeps : , . 2 Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 24 (1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced pp. 20, 58, pl. 7. (1864); Gray, Handl. of B. I. p. 89 (1869). M. supra olivaceo-viridis: pileo saturaté cyaneo: subtus rufa: gutture albo: torque nuchali rufa interrupta. Hab. in insulA ‘ Celebes’ dicta. Adult. Head deep blue, much brighter on the cheeks and ear-coverts ; a chesnut collar round the neck, divided in the centre by the blue of the head which reaches to the green of the back ; back dull olive-green, wing-coverts of the same colour, but slightly tinged with dull blue ; quills brown, pale rufous at the base, the outer web washed with dull blue ; lower part of the back and rump a little brighter green than the rest of the back ; tail dull blue above, greyish brown beneath ; throat white, rest of the under surface rich sienna; iris dark brown ; bill and feet coral-red. Total length 12 inches, of bill from front 2-0, from gape 2°5, wing 5:2, tail 4°3, tarsus 0°7, middle toe, 0-9, hind toe 0°4. Young Male. Similar to the adult, but has all the colours very much duller, forehead and eyebrow rufous, and the cheeks rufous slightly washed with greenish-blue, the bill dull coral-red, black at the base of the lower mandible. ‘Total length 12-0 inches, of bill from front 1°6, wing 5:2. Young. Head deep blue ; lores and a few feathers round the eye buff ; back and wing- coverts umber brown, each feather edged with ochre; quills dull brown, inclining to reddish on the outer web ; tail blackish brown ; a nuchal collar buff marked with black ; throat buffy white; breast pale buff, banded with heart-shaped lines of black, broader on_ the sides of the breast and less distinct on the flanks. Hab. Celebes: Menado (Forsten, Wallace); Kema (Forsten.) Of the three M.S. names under which the present bird has been known, it seems best to employ that one under which the first description was issued, and as this was given by Bonaparte, I prefer to use the name of monacha, which he assigned to it upon that occasion. Professor Schlegel was the first to recognise that the very different looking bird which forms the left hand figure in my plate, was nothing more than the young of the present species, and this extraordinary difference between the young and old stages of plumage weighed considerably with me in recognsising Monachalcyon as a separate genus. As far as I can judge the Hooded Kingfisher is confined to the island of Celebes, where it has been found chiefly in the neighbourhood of Menado. From this locality I have received numerous specimens through the kindness of my friend Mr. W. T. Fraser, who used his kind endeavours with M. Renesse van Duivenbode to procure them from thence. The British Museum has a specimen received from Leiden many years ago, and said to be from Ternate, and Messrs. Cabanis and Heine give the habitat of ‘“ Celebes, Ceram, Ternate,” for the present bird. Both these latter localities I believe to be erroneous, all the trustworthy evidence hitherto collected being in favour of its being confined to Celebes, possibly to the immediate vicinity of Menado. The sexes appear to be similar in the adult bird, but it is some time before the full plumage is attained, at least three distinct phases being gone through before the mature dress is assumed. All of these stages are exhibited in the accompanying plate, the figures of the more adult birds being taken from specimens in my collection from Menado, while the young bird is figured from the so-called “ Ternate” specimen in the British Museum. Mr. Wallace has sent a note informing me that the Hooded Kingfisher is found in dry forest, where it eats coleoptera, grylle, &c. In a fresh specimen the bill and feet were coral-red. My description and measurements as well as the two right hand figures in the plate are taken from specimens in my collection. The young is figured from a bird in the Leiden Museum, but described from a specimen in the British Museum. CARIDONAX FULGIDUS. CARIDONAX FULGIDUS. (BLUE AND WHITE KINGFISHER). Haleyon fulgidus . : Gould, P.Z.S. 1857, p. 65. 3 he ; ; », Birds of Asia, pl.—(1860). Wall. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 484. Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT. p. 162 (1860). Dacelo “ é : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 24 (1863). fulgida 5 : » Wog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 21, 54, pl. 9 (1864). 99 9? Caridonaa C. supra saturate ceruleus: capite toto nigro: uropygio argenteo, ceruleo tincto: subtus albus: hypochon- driis et tectricibus subalaribus nigris, his albo mixtis: remigibus brunnescente-nigris: rostro lxetissimé eorallino: iride brunnea: pedibus rubris. Hab. in regione Indo- Malayan. Head, cheeks, flanks, and feathers of the leg, black; back, wing-coverts, and upper surface of the tail, deep blue, more conspicuous on the tail; lower part of the back silvery white, the outer feathers tinged with rich blue; the entire under surface white; wing- feathers and under surface ot the tail brownish black; under wing coverts black, mixed with white; bill rich coral-red; eye dark brown; feet red. Total length 12.5. Length of bill from front 1.8, from gape 2.5, wing 5.4, tail 4.5, tarsus .6, middle toe .8, hind toe .4. Hab. Lombock, Flores (Wallace). The present species has as yet only been met with in the islands of Lombock and Flores, where it was discovered by Mr. Wallace, from whom most of the specimens now in Europe were obtained. It was first described by Mr. Gould at a meeting of the Zoological Society in April 1857, and has since been figured by him in his ‘ Birds of Asia.” Mr. Wallace has very kindly sent me the following note relative to its habits :— “This beautiful species was found in a few localities in the Island of Lombock, in low woods and thickets, where it feeds on coleopterous insects, and probably also on Myriapoda, small crustacea and land shells, darting down from its perch to seize them on the ground, and returning to the same post, just as a Kingfisher seizes a fish.” _ The figure in the accompanying plate is drawn from a specimen obtained in Lombock by Mr. Wallace, now in the Leiden Museum, and I have taken the description from a very fine bird, which he has kindly lent me out of his own collection. ¢ i ; - a & eo Pare >a —. — ~ a ew Yee , MT iad Din ae ee ag 4 “Se eee \q. ake igheean ; 2 i a 2 ae ry TANYSIPTERA SYLVIA. (CINNAMON-BREASTED KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera sylvia, P 4 , , . : Gould, P.Z.S. 1850, p. 200. Dacelo sylvia, . sf ; é : : Schl. Mus, Pays Bas, Alced. p. 47 (1863). Heine, Journ, f. Orn, 1859, p. 406. Uralcyon sylvia : : : ; : Quatawur, of the natives of Cape York Peninsula (Macgillivray). T. macula dorsali alb&: subtus cinnamomina. Hab. in Australia septentrionali et in Nova Guinea. Male. Crown of the head rich blue, somewhat brighter on the nape ; ear-coverts, sides of the head and upper part of the back, deep black, with a faint tinge of blue on the latter ; below this a patch of white feathers; scapularies and wing-coverts bright blue; primaries black, their inner webs light rufous at the base, the outer web (especially of the secondaries) broadly washed with blue; lower portion of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts pure white ; two middle feathers pure white, the remainder black edged with blue; entire under surface deep cinnamon ; bill and feet coral-red. Total length 12.5 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.6, wing 3.7, tail 2.7, middle rectrices 7.5, tarsus 0.45, middle toe 0.6, hind toe 0.3. Female. Similar to male, but has a shorter tail, and the outer web of the middle rectrix blue for half its length. Hab. Cape York District of North Australia (Gould), New Guinea (Macgillivray). Herr F. Heine has separated this Tanysiptera under the proposed new genus Uralcyon, because the two elongated rectrices cross each other, and on account of the abnormal shape of the spatule at the end of the tail; but I do not consider these characters of sufficient importance to warrant its generic separation from the other Tanysiptere. Mr. Gould, who first described this very beautiful Kingfisher, has published the follow- ing interesting details respecting its habits from the pen of the late Mr. J. Macgillivray :-— % This pretty Zanysiptera is rather plentiful in the neighbourhood of Cape York, where it frequents the dense bushes, and is especially fond of resorting to the small sunny openings in the woods, attracted probably by the greater abundance of insect-food found in such places than elsewhere: I never saw it on the ground and usually was first made aware of its presence by the glancing of its bright colours as it darted cm with a rapid arrow-like flight, and disappeared in an instant among the dense foliage. Its cry, which may be represented Additional references.—Tanysiptera sylvia, Gould, Birds of Austr, suppl, part. I (1851), Reich. Handb. Alced, p. 48, t. eccevii, fig. 8095-96 (1851), Gray, P.Z.S, 1858, p. 190, id. P.Z.S, 1860, p. 347, id. P.Z.S. 1861, p. 438, Wall, P.Z.S. 1863, p. 24, Ramsay, Ibis, 1865, pp. 325, 326, id. P.Z.S, 1868, p. 383, Diggles, Orn, Austr, pl by ‘“‘whee-whee-whee” and ‘“wheet-wheet-wheet,” is usually uttered while the bird is perched on a bare transverse branch or woody rope-like climber, which it uses as a look-out station, and whence it makes short dashes at any passing insect or small lizard, generally returning to the same spot. It.is a shy suspicious bird, and one well calculated to try the patience of the shooter, who may follow it for an hour without getting a shot, unless he has as keen an eye as the native to whom I was indebted for first pointing it out to me. According to the natives, who know it by the name of Quatawur, it lays three white eggs in a hole dug by itself, in one of the large ant-hills of red clay which form so remarkable a feature in the neighbourhood, some of them being as much as ten feet in height, with numerous buttresses and pinnacles. I believe that the bird also inhabits New Guinea; for at Redscar Bay, on the south-east side of that great Island, in long. 146° 15’ E., a head strung upon a necklace was procured from the natives.” With regard to its occurrence in New Guinea, I am informed that there are in the Leiden Museum some specimens sent thence by von Rosenberg. My friend Mr. E. P. Ramsay of Dobroyde, has favoured me with the following note:— “This is without exception the most beautiful of all our Kingfishers. Its great stronghold is the northern part of Queensland and Cape York, from which latter place I have seen some hundreds of specimens. Every person ornithologically inclined and all curiosity hunters bring skins down to Sydney, but as regards specimens for the cabinet they are worthless, being as unlike birds as skin and feathers can possibly be made; consequently there are few collections even here which contain decent specimens. Like the rest of its family, this species lays five roundish white eggs in a round chamber near the end of a tunnel, in the side of a bank or in the hills of the white ants.” ‘Tt appears to make annual migrations, arriving in great numbers during a single night. At Cape York they are plentiful from October to January or February, and I have received a single female specimen from Port Denison, the extreme limit of its southern boundary, said to have been shot in the month of October. It is curious, however, that none were seen by my collector at Rockingham Bay during his visit there from November to the end of January. I was greatly disappointed as I expected to get some specimens from that neighbourhood.” “The female differs from the male in having the outer webs of the two central tail- feathers margined with blue to within a quarter of their length from the tip. The upper tail-coverts are also edged with blue and the middle tail-feathers are much shorter in the female than in the male, at least such is the conclusion I have arrived at from a close examination of many specimens. ‘This fact seems not to have been noticed by Mr. Gould in his remarks on the colour and plumage of this species. When Mr. Gould’s figure and description was published, Cape York was the only locality the bird was known to inhabit; but on the authority of Macgillivray’s journal of the voyage of the “Julia Perey” and from specimens procured by several of my collectors, I can affirm that its habitat ranges from Port Denison all along the coast north and north-west to Essington.” These additional details of the life-history of this elegant Kingfisher will doubtless be welcomed by ornithologists, and I am able to confirm Mr. Ramsay’s observations as to the differences in the sexes from an examination of an immense series of specimens lately brought home to this country, collected in the neighbourhood of Somerset, Cape York, by Messrs. Cockerell and Thorpe. The females generally have the tail-feathers much rubbed as if in consequence of the constant friction to which they are subjected in excavating the holes and performing the other duties of incubation. Occasionally the tails of the males are found to be much worn but not so generally as those of the female. The figure of the bird in Mr. Diggles’ “ Ornithology of Australia” appears to me too large and bulky ; but that of the young bird is of great interest. He gives the following particu- lars respecting the species: — q “This beautiful Kingfisher is only obtained in the peninsular of Cape York. It is a migratory bird, and makes its appearance at the setting in of the N.W. monsoon, in the month of November, and departs in March to its northern habitat, the Island of New Guinea. It is somewhat plentiful near Port Albany, but, from the shyness of its disposition, SS = is not easily obtained. It frequents the dense scrubs and brushes, particularly the open spots, and may generally be observed sitting on a creeper or dead branch watching for insects, -and uttering its peculiar ery, which is a harsh shrill whistle twice or thrice repeated, resem- bling the syllables “‘wheet-wheet” at which time it raises its tail perpendicularly with a jerk. Like many other species of Kingfisher, it has the peculiar habit of incubating in the clay-built structures of the white ant, not being very particular whether the same be on a tree or on the ground, but very frequently at the foot of a rotten stump, where these nests often occur. A hole is made completely through from side to side, and a small excavation or hollow in the middle serves for the reception of the eggs, no nest being made. The eggs are three and sometimes four, in number, nearly round, and of a pure white. The newly- fledged young make their appearance early in January, and do not acquire the long tail- feathers until after the first moult.” The description, measurements, and figures are taken from fine specimens procured in Cape York by Messrs. Cockerell and Thorpe. eI SS ee eee, ~ S ; - \ / ’ ) . ‘ - > . - . » oe a " . 9 - a . . a > 7 -_) , rn * . > 7 . » 7 » r ; | ee . ‘ TANYSIPTERA DORIS. Piet LERA DORIS. (MORTY ISLAND KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera doris. . 5 : : Wall. Ibis, 1862, p. 44. Me i : : : ; Wall. P. Z. 8. 1863, p. 24. +5 lee : : : ; Sharpe, P. Z. 8. 1869, p. 631. Dacelo sabrina (pt.) . . : : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 46, (1868); Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 37, 65, pl. 14 (1864). T. macula dorsali alb4; subtus alba, scapularibus saturate ultramarinis ; tectricibus supracaudalibus cum rectricibus ceruleo marginatis. Hab. in insula ‘‘ Morotai” dict&é maris moluccensis. Adult. Head brilliant cobalt; cheeks, ear-coverts and back of the neck deep blue, more brilliant on the two former; upper part of the back and scapulars deep blue black ; a large patch of feathers in the centre of the back pure white ; wing-coverts deep black, broadly edged with bright blue, the innermost ones glittering cobalt; quills black, the inner web white at the base, the outer webs washed with dark blue; lower portion of the back and upper tail-coverts white, the latter edged with dark blue ; tail-feathers white, the exterior web as well as the tip of the interior are broadly margined with dark blue ; the two middle feathers blue for the whole length as far as the spatula, the basal half of the inner web varied with white; entire under surface white; bill sealing-wax red; feet olive- brown. Total length 14 inches, of bill from front 1:3, from gape 1°7, wing 4, tail 4:1, middle rectrices 8°0, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 0°7, hind toe 0°35. Young. Head blue-black, with a cincture of brilliant cobalt ; cheeks, ear-coverts, sides and back of the neck deep blue black; upper surface of the body brown, with a patch of fulvous spots on the upper part of the back, marking the white patch in the adult ; wing- coverts brown, narrowly edged with fulvous ; quills brown ; upper tail-coverts brown, slightly streaked with fulvous ; tail blackish brown, glossed with blue, especially on the centre feathers which have also the inner web white ; lores and under surface of the body deep fulvous, with irregular markings of black caused by the black margins to the feathers ; bill red, mixed with black towards the tip; feet olive-brown. Hab. Morty Island ( Wallace.) This is one of the most beautiful of the Tunysiptere, and is distinguished by the large white patch on the back from most of the species of the genus. It has two near allies, T. emilie from Raou, which differs in the narrower markings of the tail, and 7. sabrina from Kaioa, which has the upper tail-coverts and tail white. The description and measurements, as well as the figure of the adult bird in t are taken from a very fine skin in Mr. Wallace’s collection. My own sp¢ about 12 inches in total length, their tail feathers having apparently not yet attan maximum growth. The young bird is described and figured from a specimen in tion, obtained by Mr. Wallace in Morty I[sland. yo ——— TANYSIPTERA EMILIZ. Pen vor rh kA EMILI A, (RAOU KINGFISHER.) T. affinis 7. doridi sed paulld major: pileo et tectricibus alarum minoribus pulchré argenteo-cyaneis: caude tectricibus albis, augusté nigricanti marginatis: tectricibus albis, augustissimé cyaneo marginatis. Hab. in insulé “ Raow” dict’ maris moluccensis. Male. Entire head, which is much crested, and nape beautiful silvery cobalt; cheeks, ear-coverts, back and sides of neck and the upper part of the back, black washed distinctly with cobalt; in the middle of the back a large patch of white feathers; scapulars very deep ultramarine; least wing-coverts very brilliant silvery cobalt, the greater ones black washed with dark ultramarine; quills blackish brown, the inner web grey at the base, the secondaries externally glossed with deep blue; lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts pure white, the latter indistinctly edged with greyish black, here and there tinged with blue; tail feathers pure white margined with blue which is the colour of the narrow shaft to the spatula which is again pure white; entire under-surface pure white, mixed with blue on the under wing-coverts; bill red; feet olive-brown; nails fleshy brown. Total length 14 inches, of bill from front 1°4, from gape 1°9, wing 4°3, tail 4-4, middle rectrices 8°2, tarsus 0°6, middle toe 0°7, hind toe 0°4. Hab. Raou Island (Bernstein). This species was discovered by Dr. Bernstein in Raou and the only specimens known are in the Leiden Museum. Professor Schlegel is inclined to refer them to 7. doris, but at the same time he marks the characters wherein the bird from Raou does not agree with that from Morty Island. 7. Hmilie is certainly allied to 7. doris, but differs in the much brighter colour of the head and small wing-coverts, in the distinct cobalt lustre on the cheeks and upper part of the back and in the very much narrower margins to the tail- feathers: the nails also are of a pale flesh-colour, but I do not know if this is a permanent character. Professor Schlegel has figured both this species and 7’. doris (s. n. 7’. sabrina) in his beautiful work on Malayan Kingfishers (Vog. Ned Ind. Alced. pl. 14). I have named this species after my wife, who from the first has taken great interest in the present work, and who, possessing a very good acquaintance with ornithology, has been no mean assistance in its preparation. For the opportunity of figuring the type- specimen I aim indebted to my kind friend Professor Schlegel, who lent it to me from the Leiden Museum. +? >}! id a ee TANYSIPTERA SABRINA. Pere in hA SABRINA. (KAIOA KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera sabrina . Gray, P. Z. 8. 1860, p. 347, pl. 170; Wall. P. Z.S. 1863, p. 24; Schl. Ned. Tijdschr. 1866, p. 272; Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 90 (1869); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 631. T. macula dorsali alba: subtus alba: scapularibus nigris, ultramarino claré lavatis: tectricibus supra- caudalibus cum rectricibus albis. Hab. in insula “ Kaioa’” dict&. Head, nape and wing-coverts bright ultramarine ; cheeks, ear-coverts and hinder part of the neck, upper part of the back and scapulars black, plainly washed with dark blue ; in the centre of the back a small patch of white feathers ; wing-feathers black, the extreme basal portion of the inner web white, the exterior web broadly margined with dark blue ; lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts pure white ; tail-feathers pure white ; the two middle feathers white at the base with here and there a narrow blue edging, the narrow portion of the shaft blue, the spatula white ; bill sealing-wax red ; feet olive- brown. Total length 13:5 inches, of bill from front 1:4, from gape 1°8, wing 4°3, tail 4°3, middle rectrices 7°5, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 0°7, hind toe 0°3. Hab. Kaioa Island ( Wallace, von Rosenberg). The description and figure of this fine Tanysiptera are taken from a specimen in Mr. Wallace’s collection, and as will be seen, this bird possesses a white dorsal spot. Professor Schlegel considers this character of no importance, having, as he relates (/.c.) received a series of no less than 16 specimens from Kaioa. He writes :—‘‘ A certain number of individuals do not offer the least trace of white on the upper part of the back, in others the white is reduced to a single feather, while in the rest these white patches are spread more or less completely over the back.” Every specimen of 7. sabrina that I have examined in this country has had a distinct dorsal patch, which it appears on examination to assume gradually, and I therefore believe that like 7’. doris some trace of the white spot will be seen in the young bird. Nor is my opinion compromised by the fact, that Professor Schlegel has got specimens of 7’ sabrina without a trace of a dorsal spot, for he very kindly lent me one to figure in the present work, and on careful examination I found that, although the skin looks perfect, the whole of the feathers of the middle of the back have been removed, either by a shot or otherwise. So that at present I consider 7. sabrina to be a good species and its white dorsal spot to be one of its characteristic peculiarities. he principal description and figure are from a Kaioa specimen in Mr. Wallace’s collection. (et TANYSIPTERA NYMPHA. TANYSIPTERA NYMPHA. (RED-BREASTED KINGFISHER. ) Tanysiptera nympha, ; : G Gray, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1841, p. 237. Alcedo nympha, ; : : : Martens, Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p, 18. Dacelo dea, pt. : , : : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 45 (1863). - ss : : : : Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. pp. 33, 62 (1864). T. macula dorsali nulla: uropygio miniato. Hab. in parte septentrionali-occidentali Nove Guinez. Head rich ultramarine, inclining to cobalt on the nape; ear coverts and upper part of the back and scapularies jet black; lower part of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts rich vermilion; wing-coverts black, edged with ultramarine ; the innermost ones rich cobalt ; wing feathers black, the inner web light rufous from the base, the exterior very narrowly washed with blue; tail-feathers deep blue, the interior ones tipped with white, the two middle tail-feathers rich blue, the spatula long and white, with a faint blush of rose; entire under surface rich vermilion, a little paler on the throat and abdomen; bill and feet sealing-wax red; eyes black. Total length 11 inches, of bill from front 1.2, from gape 1.7, wing 3.6, tail 2.8, middle rectrices 0.6, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.6, hind toe 0.2. Hab, Interior of the North-West portion of New Guinea ( Wallace.) This beautiful Kingfisher was described in 1841 by Mr. George Robert Gray from a very bad specimen in the British Museum, supposed to be from the Philippine Islands. No other specimen was known till Mr. Wallace re-discovered it in New Guinea and brought home a single skin, thus fixing the true habitat of the species. Mr. von Martens seems to have overlooked this fact in his essay on the Ornithology of the Philippines (/.c.) but does not perpetuate the error in the ‘* Zoologische Abtheilung” of the ‘‘ Prussian Expedition to Eastern Asia.” Mr. Wallace has kindly given me the following information respecting the present bird :— ‘“‘ This rare species was obtained by my assistant, Mr. Allen, in the interior of the North-West peninsula of New Guinea; and the single specimen he obtained is, I believe, the only complete and authentic one in Europe. New Guinea is the only island which Additional references.— Tanysiptera nympha, Gray and Mitch. Gen, of Birds I, p. 78 (c. 1844), Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 59 (1848), id. P. Z. S. 1860, p. 347, Bonap. Consp. Gen, Av. I, p. 157 (1850), Wall. P. Z. 8. 1862, p. 165, id. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 24, Schl. Ned. Tidschr. 1866, p. 250, possesses two species of this genus, and may therefore be looked upon as its metropolis and as more likely than any other part of the world to produce new forms of Kingfishers, connecting this isolated group with the rest of the family” 4 The figure in the accompanying plate is drawn from Mr. Wallace’s specimen, from which I have also taken the description. The measurements of the tail are taken fom the type specimen in the British Museum, as in Mr. Wallace’s bird the tail-feathers have not attained their full length. * “WOITIa. »=- VAL ISANWL Peer rth hA ELLIOT. (ELLIOT’S KINGFISHER.) Tanysipteru ellioti . ; ; : - ‘ : : ; Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1869, p. 630. T. supra saturate ultramarina: capite toto cum tectricibus alarum superioribus leetissime cyaneis: dorso postico cum uropygio et rectricibus omnibus purissime albis: rectricibus duabis mediis haud spatulatis, apice tantum paullo dilatatis : subtus pure alba, tibiis ultramarinis ; hypochondriis striis ultramarinis longitudinaliter notatis. Hab. in insula “ Mysol” dicta. Adult. Head uniform brilliant cobalt; cheeks, ear-coverts, and the whole of the back rich ultramarine; lesser and least coverts brilliant cobalt, the second series bright ultramarine, the cubital and primary coverts ultramarine, uniform with the back ; quills entirely black, the outer web broadly washed with deep ultramarine ; lower part of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white ; tail-feathers all pure white, the middle ones with no attenuated end and no perceptible spatula, these feathers when observed from a distance and placed on a level with the eye having a faint blue lustre ; entire under surface white, thighs ultramarine, and the flanks longitudinally marked with this colour also; bill vermilion; feet olive-brown. Total length 13°5 inches, of bill from front 1:4, from gape 1:7, wing 4:5, tail 4°5, middle rectrices 8°0, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 0°7, hind toe 0°35. Another specimen is precisely similar to the foregoing, but has the middle tail-feathers marked with blue for about a quarter of their length. Young. Similar to the adult, but has the wing-coverts somewhat edged with ochre, and some of the quills dull rusty-brown ; the upper tail-coverts are broadly edged with blue and tinged with ochre, and the entire under-surface of the body is also tinged with the last named colour, the flanks being marked with brown ; the tail also is entirely blue. Hab Koffiau, Mysol, (von Rosenberg) This elegant species was first described by me from a specimen in Count Turati’s Museum, but the exact locality was at that time unknown. On visiting the Leiden Museum, however, I discovered a series of specimens there from Mysol, and it is to Professor Schlegel’s kindness in lending me the examples in question that I am enabled to give a figure of this beautiful Zanysiptera in three stages of plumage In general appearance it resembles 7. galatea, but differs conspicuously in the unspa- tulated tail which seems to be preserved in all ages. The species is dedicated to Mr. D. G. Elliot, one of the most illustrious American Naturalists, and author of several Ornithological ‘‘ Monographs.” BL wh eae - ¢ 4s ’ St ie ie De, Z * F \ ‘ » : - ihe 7 ae | ; U ¢ a } ‘5 i ~ sy y. Ta. Des Oi - be. We a TANYSIPTERA HYDROCHARIS. TANYSIPTERA HYDROCHARIS. (ARU ISLAND KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera hydrocharis, : ‘ : - 3 ‘ Gray, P.Z.S. 1858, p. 172. Dacelo hydrocharis, : : : : 3 > : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 46 (1863). T. macula dorsali alba nulla: uropygio albo: cauda spatulata: genis, regione pence et collo postico nigris : rectricibus exterioribus nigris, ceruleo marginatis. Hab. in insulis ‘“‘ Aru’’ dictis. Adult. Crown of the head light cobalt, blackish on the forehead and brighter along the sides of the head; cheeks, ear-coverts, and nape black ; scapularies, middle of the back, and wing-coverts black, washed with ultramarine, brighter on the latter ; wing-feathers black, white at the base, washed with ultramarine on the outer web; rump pure white ; tail black, broadly washed with dark blue ; middle feathers blue edged with white near the base, and terminating in an elongated white spatula ; entire under-surface white; bill coral- red; feet dusky reddish olive ; eyes dark-brown. Total length 13:3 inches, of bill from front 1:0, from gape 1°4, wing 3° 5, tail 3°3, middle tail-feathers 9° 0, tarsus 3°6, middle toe 0°6, hind toe 0°25. Young. Head blackish-brown ; a line of feathers extending from the base of the bill backwards over the eye, pale fulvous brown; back, scapularies, and wing-coverts dark brown, strongly tinged with dark ochre, especially on the rump and wing-coverts, the latter being conspicuously edged with ochre; quills blackish brown, fulvous ‘at the base, the primaries externally edged with whitish- brown, t the secondaries with dark ochre, this colour being spread over the whole of the innermost secondary quills ; tail ochreous ‘brown, the middle feathers tinged with dull blue; ear-coverts dark brown; cheeks mixed dark’ brown and ochre; sides of the neck and entire breast ochre margined with blackish brown, the lower part of the abdomen white ; throat pure white, with a line of brown feathers running down each side of it; bill dark horn brown, paler on the lower mandible ; feet olive brown. Total length 53 inches, of bill from front 0°8, wing 3:0, tarsus 3°55. Hab. Aru Islands ( Wallace, von Rosenberg). Additional references.— Tanysiptera hydrocharis, Gray, Cat. Mamm, and B. of N. Guin. pp. 20, 55 (1859); id. P.Z.S. 1860, p. 347; Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 162 (1860); Gray, P.Z.S. 1861, p. 433; Wall. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 24; Rosenb. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 118; Schl. Ned. Tijdschr. III, pp. 269, 340 (1865); Sharpe, P.Z.8. 1869, p- 631. Dacelo hydrocharis, Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind, Alced, pp. 36, 65, pl. 15 (1864). This very elegant Kingfisher appears to be confined to the Aru Islands, where Mr. Wallace first discovered it, and where it has since been obtained by Herr von Rosenberg. It is easily distinguishable by its smaller size from all the other species of Tanysiptera. Mr. Wallace informs me that this bird “‘eats insects, digging its beak into the ground. It roosts in the holes of rocks by the sides of small streams.”’ The adult bird figured in the plate is a fine specimen lent me by Mr. Wallace. For the opportunity of figuring the young bird I am again indebted to the kindness of Professor Schlegel, who allowed the specimen to be sent to England along with other valuable King- fishers from the Leiden Museum. ‘ | ————— ee TANYSIPTERA ACIS. TANYSIPTERA ACIS. (“ ACIS” KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera acis : : Wall. P. Z. S. 1863, pp. 23, 24; Schl. Ned. Tijdschr. 1865, p. 273; Sharpe, P. Z.S. 1869, p. 631; Gray, Handl. of B. I. p. 90 (1869). Dacelo dea (pt.) ‘ ; Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alceed. p. 43 (1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind. pp. 33, 62 (1862). T. macula dorsali nulla; uropygio albo; canda distincté spatulata ; genis, regione parotica et collo postico nigris; rectricibus exterioribus albis ceeruleo marginatis. Hab. in insula “ Bouru”’ dicta maris moluccensis. Head dark blue, inclining to cobalt on the nape; cheeks, ear-coverts, hinder portion of the neck, upper part of the back and scapulars deep black, with a faint tinge of blue here and there ; lower portion of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts dingy white, each feather broadly margined with black; wing-coverts deep blue, the innermost ones bright cobalt ; quills black, the inner web yellowish at the base, the exterior webs slightly tinged with dark blue ; tail-feathers white, broadly edged with blue, the middle feathers, with the exception of a few white patches at the base, blue for the whole length as far as the spatula, which is also edged with blue ; entire under surface pale fulvous, each feather narrowly edged with black; bill red; feet olive; iris dark brown. Total length 14 inches, of bill from front 1:2, from gape 1°7, wing 4:0, tail 3°7, middle rectrices 8:0, tarsus 0.45, middle toe 0°8, hind toe 0°3. Hab. Bouru ( Wallace.) The above description is taken from the type-specimen in Mr. Wallace’s collection, and the plate is drawn from the same bird. At present I believe this specimen to be unique in European Museums, for although Mr. G. R. Gray (/.c.) includes it among the Kingfishers in the British Museum I have never seen a specimen there, and the locality given, ‘‘ Ceram” is of course altogether wrong. Mr. Wallace’s type-specimen is not quite adult, but, when discovered, the mature bird will scarcely differ except in being pure white underneath. The black cheeks and back place it in the same section of the genus as Tanysiptera hydrocharis, from which it may very easily be distinguished by its larger size and comparatively shorter tail with more white on it. Mr. Wallace informs me that the only specimen in bis collection was obtaind by him in Bouru, and that it had some “small land-shells in the stomach.” | . | | phen tope ot we ee SNe acon 8 “ TANYSIPTERA - prc Sere a ~- _— ~~ _——— ~_ MARGARETHA. TANYSIPTERA MARGARETHA. (BATCHIAN KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera margarethe : : ‘ ; Heine, Journ. f. Orn. 1859, p. 406 et 1861, p. 215; Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1869, p. 631. Tanysiptera isis . ; : : : : Gray, P.Z.S. 1860, p. 347; Wall. P.Z.S. 1863, p. 24; Schl. Ned. Tijdschr. 1865, p. 272. Dacelo dea (pt.) . : : F : ; Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 43 (1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 33, 62 (1864). Tanysiptera margaretta ; : : : Gray, Handl. of B. I. p. 90 (1869). T. macula dorsali nulla; uropygio albo; regione parotica et collo postico atro-ceeruleis: pileo ultramarino, superciliis cum nuch4 cyaneis ; tectricibus caudalibus postremis atro-ceeruleis. Hab. in insulis ‘ Batchian, Gilolo’ dictis maris moluccensis. Crown of the head ultramarine encircled with a line of bright cobalt feathers ; fore- head black ; cheeks, ear-coverts, back and sides of neck, upper part of the back and scapulars deep blue; lower part of the back and rump white ; upper tail-coverts white, broadly edged with bright blue ; wing-feathers brownish black, the inner web white at the base, the outer web sparingly margined with blue, some of the feathers having a dusky edging; tail-feathers white margined with blue, the two middle feathers blue to half the extent of the spatula, which is elongated, the basal portion of the feathers being marked or irregularly streaked with white. Total length 13 inches, of bill from front 1:3, from gape 1°7, wing 3'6, tail 3°8, middle rectrices 8-0, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 0°7, hind toe 0°3. Hab. Batchian, Gilolo ( Wallace). As Mr. Sclater remarks (P.Z.S. 1860, p. 347), there can be no doubt that Heine’s T. margarethe is the same as Mr. Gray’s Tanysiptera isis. The name adopted is, therefore, the correct one to be employed for this species. A slight discrepancy will be observed between the measurements given above, which are those of a fine skin from Batchian, and those given by Herr Heine. The latter gentle- man does not state the locality of his type specimen, but his description and measurements agree with a specimen in my collection from Gilolo. Birds from this latter island seem to be aeeronel larger than those from Batchian. he description and figure are taken from a beautifully preserved specimen from Batchian lent to me by Mr. Wallace. nye. eer went ; e + Sa ei ad Le ’ oe} J he wh Cy newt p | a yt > . NAIS. TANYSIPTERA Peay SePT ERA NATS. (CERAM KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera nais ; Gray, P. Z. S. 1860, pp. 346, 8347; Wall. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 24; Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 90 (1869); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 631. Tanysiptera dea (pt.) . Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 43 (1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 338, 62 (1864); id. Ned. Tijdschr. 1866. p. 273. T. macula dorsali alba nulli: uropygio albo: cauda spatulata: genis, regione parotica et collo postico saturate cxruleis: pileo concolori: tectricibus supracaudalibus omnino albis: dorso cyaneo maculato. Hab. in insulis ‘‘ Ceram” “ Amboina”’ dictis. Adult. Head shining cobalt ; cheeks, ear-coverts, sides and back of the neck and upper portion of the back deep blue, distinctly spotted with cobalt on the latter ; middle of the back and scapulars deep blue ; wing-coverts bright cobalt, the outer ones deep blue ; quills black, washed externally with bright blue ; lower portion of the back and tail-coverts pure white ; tail-feathers white, narrowly edged with blue on the outer web, the two middle feathers very long, white at the base, the rest of the feather blue as far as the spatula which is white ; entire under surface white, with a tinge of cream-colour ; bill sealing-wax red ; feet olive-brown. Total length 16 inches, of bill from front 1:3, from gape 1°9; wing 4-2, tail 4:2, middle rectrices 10°2, tarsus 0°5, middle toe 0°7, hind toe 0°25. Young. Head deep cobalt, brighter over the eye ; cheeks, ear-coverts and back of neck deep blue-black, mottled with blue on the latter as in the adult ; back and scapulars dark brown, slightly marked with rufous on the latter ; wing-coverts black, more broadly edged with rufous and exhibiting a tinge of blue here and there ; quills dark brown slightly washed with blue near the base of the outer web, the secondaries slightly margined with rufous-brown ; lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts fulvous-white, broadly margined with blackish ; tail-feathers fulvous-white at the base, broadly margined with blackish ; middle tail-feathers blueish, broadened slightly towards the apex, white at base of both webs and longitudinally marked with fulvous white near the tip ; entire under surface fulvous, becoming white in one or two places, all the feathers margined with blackish, developing into two large black patches on either side of the upper part of the breast; bill dull sealing-wax red; feet olive brown. Hab. Ceram (Wallace), Amboina ( Wallace). So far as is at present known this beautiful Kingfisher is confined to the islands of Ceram and Amboina, where it represents 7. galatea. In size and general coloration it is very similar to the last-named species, but is always to be distinguished by the blue mottling on the upper part of the back. The description and figure of the adult bird are taken from a very fine specimen in Mr. Wallace’s collection from Amboina. The young is described from a Ceram skin in my own collection. “Y3LVIV9 WHALdISANVL yd TANYSIPTERA GALATEA., (*“GALATEA” KINGFISHER.) Tanysiptera galatea : Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 154; id. P. Z. S. 1860, p. 347; Wall, P. Z. S. 1863, p- 24; Gray, Handl. of B. I. p. 90 (1869); Sharpe, P. Z. 8. 1869, p. 681. Tanysiptera dea . : Vig. Linn. Trans. XIV, p. 433; Gray, Cat. Mamm. & B. of N. Guin. p. 20 (1859). Alcedo dea . . : Less. Voy. Coq. I, p. 697 (1826). Dacelo dea (pt.) . : Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 48 (1863); id. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 33, 62 (1864); id. Ned. Tidschr. 1866, p. 271. P. macula dorsali nulla: uropygio albo: cauda spatulata: genis, regione parotica et collo postico saturate ceruleis: pileo concolori: tectricibus supracaudalibus omnino albis: dorso concolori. Hab. in insula ““Waigiou” dicté et in Nova Guinea. Head and nape brilliant ultramarine; cheeks, ear-coverts, sides of the neck, back and scapularies deep blue-black; upper wing-coverts black edged with dark blue, the interior ones bright ultramarine ; wing-feathers black, the inner web white at the base, the outer web plentifully washed with dark blue; lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts pure white ; tail-feathers white, with a narrow edging of blue on the outer web, the two middle tail-feathers blue as far as the spatula, a white spot or two at the base of the feathers and a very narrow edging of white here and there on the inner web; entire under-surface creamy white; bill sealing-wax red; feet olive-brown. ‘Total length 17 5 inches, of bill from front 1°3, from gape 1°8, wing 4.4, tail 4:9, middle rectrices 110, tarsus 0°4, middle toe 0°8, hind toe 0°35. Hab. Waigiou, New Guinea ( Wallace). This is one of the largest species of Tanysiptera, and like 7. nais possesses a very long tail. It may, however, be recognised from that species by its uniform coloured back. My description, measurements and figure are taken from a beautiful skin in Mr. Wallace’s private collection. = RIEDELI. TANYSIPTERA Se ttorePrhnA RIEDELI. (RIEDEL’S KINGFISHER). Tanysiptera Riedeli ‘ Verr. Nouy. Archiv. du Mus. Bullet. II, p. 21 t. 3 (1866); Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 90 (1869); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 631. T. supra viridi-cyanea: subtus alba: scapularibus indicis: uropygio albo: rostro corallino: pedibus rubro-brunneis. Hab. forsan in insula “‘ Celebes’’ dicta. Head, neck, upper part of the back and wing-coverts greenish cobalt, the bases of the feathers black; sides of the back, scapulars, some of the wing-coverts and quills indigo, clearer on the edges of the feathers; the last-named shade being mingled with the blue on the ear-coverts, as well as on the sides of the neck; the entire under surface from the chin downwards, rump and tail, pure white; the three lateral feathers narrowly bordered with indigo on part of their outer webs; the two middle for a part of their length to within an inch of their base being bordered with greenish blue, and the rest of the feathers of the latter colour as far as the spatula which is white; the shaft is black excepting at the base and near the apex; quills black with a part of their external webs very deep indigo; under wing-coverts black; beak coral-red; tarsus reddish-brown; toes and nails brown. Hab. Celebes? (Riedel). The above description is translated from the original arti¢le by M. Jules Verreaux (l.c ), for I have never seen a specimen of the bird myself. The figure is taken from a water-colour drawing of the type-specimen executed for me by M. Huet of Paris. The exact locality of 7. riedeli is unknown, and I am unwilling to give its habitat as Celebes for certain, as no collector has ever yet met with a species of Zanysiptera in that island. On first seeing the description of the bird I at once wrote to M. Riedel, asking him to send me a specimen for the purposes of the present work, and in due time I received an answer from him promising to do all he could for me to procure one, but up to the preseut date I have not received any examples from him. T. Riedeli is evidently very nearly allied to 7. Hmilie from Raou, but has not the white patch in the middle of the back. It will most likely be found eventually that the present species is an inhabitant of one of the Moluccas, and had been brought to Celebes by some native trader. WJ y i i « } fe anne: tat * — “SVSIS Oo1z90VaG PACH LO GIGAS. (LAUGHING KINGFISHER.) Grand Martin-pécheur de la Nouvelle Guinée ‘ : Sonn. Voy. Nouv. Guin. p. 171, t. evi (1776). Martin-pécheur de la Nouvelle Guinée . ; ; : Buff. Pl. Enl. 663 (c. 1780). Great Brown Kingfisher . : : ; = : Lath. Syn. I. pt. 2, p. 609 (1782). Alcedo gigas. B hee : , : ; : Bodd. Tabl. des Pl. Enl. p. 40 (1783, ex Buff:). Alcedo undulata , ; ; ‘ é , - Scop. Del. Faun. et Flor. Insubr. I, p. 90 (1786, ex Sonn.). Dacelo undulatus. : ; : : : ; Gray. P.Z.S. 1858, p. 189. Alcedo fusca . , : ; : ‘ ; ; Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 454 (1788, ex Lath.). Lath. Ind. Orn. I, p. 245 (1790). Alcedo gigantea Dacelo gigantea Leach, Zool. Mise. IT, p. 125, tab. evi(1815). Dacelo gigas : Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 78 (1846). Paraleyon gigas : ‘ Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 165 (1850). Gogobera, of the Natives of New South Wales (Gould). D. scapularibus brunneis: sexibus simillibus: pileo medio rufescenti-brunneo, utrinque albido: cinctu nuchali brunneo. Hab. in Australasia. Male. Head brown in the centre, becoming very dark, almost black, on the nape ; feathers running along the base of the bill dirty white; lores, feathers under the eye extend- ing backwards over the ear-coverts very dark brown, long and hairy; sides of the head extending backward round the nape white, indiscriminately marked with small bars of brown; below this white, a narrow line of dark brown feathers, encircling the neck from the extremity of the ear-coverts ; below this brown collar there is another white one, rather broad and marked with indistinct little brown bars; back and scapulars brown; rump brown washed with pale blue; wing-coverts dark brown, broadly edged with pale blue appearing silvery white in some lights; quills dark blackish brown, white at the base, this white appearing at the base of the outer web of the fourth, fifth and Additional references.—Dacelo undulatus, J. BE. and G. R. Gray, Cat. Mamm. and B. of N. Guin. p. 55 (1858). Alcedo gigantea, Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. I, p. 282 (1823); Shaw, Gen. Zool. VII, p. 53 (1811). Dacelo gigantea, Vig. and Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. XV, p. 204 (1826); Steph. Gen. Zool. I, p. 101 (1826) ; Bennett, Wander. in N. 8. W. I, p. 221 (1834); Gould, B. of Austr. I, pl. 18 (1848); Reich. Vig. Neuholl. . 36 (1850); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 153 (1850); Brehm, Bilder und Skizzen, p. 209 (1865); Gould, Handb. B. of Austr. I, p. 122 aug Scl. List Vertebr. An. Zool. Soc. p. 90 (1866); Diggles, Orn. of Austr. part I (1868). Dacelo gigas, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 51 (1848); Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 40, t. eccexxvil, fig. 3161-63 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale, Phil. Mus. p. 14 (1852); Gray, Handl. of B. I. p. 89 (1869). sixth primaries, and forming a conspicuous white spot; most of the primaries slightly glossed with greenish blue along the outer web; the secondaries rather paler brown, narrowly tipped with white, the innermost ones palest; upper tail coverts rufous banded with blackish-brown ; tail rufous banded with blackish-brown and tipped with white, the latter colour predominating and the brown bars becoming narrower as the feathers approach the outermost, the latter being rufous only at the base; underneath white, indistinctly and narrowly banded with dusky brown; upper mandible black, lower mandible pale yellow; feet dark olive-brown. Total length 17 inches, of bill from front 2°6, from gape 3°5, wing 9:0, tail 7:0, tarsus 0°75, middle toe 1°5, hind toe 0°5. Female. Exactly similar to the male, but has not, perhaps, so much blue on the wing- coverts or the rump, the latter being more rufous. Hab. South Eastern Australia, from New South Wales as far north as the southern parts of Queensland. (Gould, Diggles). Although said to have been originally obtained by Sonnerat in New Guinea, the present species has never been procured in that country by any subsequent naturalist, and we must suppose that the above-mentioned author made a mistake in the locality, or else that the bird proeured by him had been brought alive from the coasts of Australia. There seem to me to be two races of the common ‘ Laughing Jackass,’ which, how- ever, are not sufficiently distinct to be characterized as different species, but I have invariably noted that the birds from Queensland are darker in coloration on the back and scapulars and the blue on the wing-coverts is brighter. ‘The Australian Naturalists will do well to see if these differences are constant, especially as Queensland specimens seem to run a trifle smaller than those from other parts of the continent. The present species thrives capitally in confinement and many arrive annually in this country. At the Zoological Gardens several specimens are always to be seen in the Western Aviary, and the naturalist can form some idea of the wild chorus to which writers have alluded, by listening to the chaotic laughing of the birds in confine- ment in the Regent’s Park. They are accustomed to sit on the broad bar which traverses the centre of the cage, often remaining motionless for a considerable time, till one, raising his bill sky-ward, commences a low gurgle in which one after another joins, till a chorus is produced which may pass for laughing, and is certainly at times by no means dissimilar to the noise produced by the ‘Laughing Hyena.’ The note is considerably harsher and more disagreeable than that of its small congener the Buff Laughing King- fisher, Dacelo cervina, two or three specimens of which are also exhibited in the same aviary. I cannot quite understand why the bird should have been named by the Australian colonists the Laughing Jackass, unless it be that they suppose the bird’s note resembles the noise which would emanate from that animal if he attempted to laugh, or from the ludicrous aspect of the bird when its curiosity is aroused; if anything attracts its attention the expression assumed by the bird is most comical. In confinement the species becomes tame, and although mostly to be seen on the perch, it is active enough on the ground, its mode of progression being by a series of large hops. The following exhaustive account of the life-history of the Laughing Jackass is copied verbatim from Mr. Gould’s ‘Handbook’ (/.c.) “The Dacelo gigas isa bird with which every resident and traveller in New South Wales is more or less familiar, for, independently of its large size, its voice is so extraordinary as to be unlike that of any other bird. In its disposition it is by no means shy, and when any new objects are presented to its notice, such as a party traversing the bush or pitching their tent in the vicinity of its retreat, it becomes very prying and inquisitive, often perching on the dead branch of a tree and watching with curiosity the kindling of the fire and the preparation of the meal; its presence, however, is seldom detected until it emits its extraordinary gurgling, laughing note, which generally calls forth some exclamation according with the temper of the hearer, such as ‘There is our old friend the Laughing Jackass” or an epithet of a less friendly character. So remarkable are the sounds emitted by the bird that they have been noted by nearly every writer on New South Wales and its productions. Mr. Caley states that its “loud noise, somewhat like laughing, may be heard at a considerable distance, from which circumstance and its uncouth appearance, it probably received the extraordinary appellation given to it by the settlers on their first arrival in the colony.” Captain Sturt says, ‘‘Its cry which resembles a chorus of wild spirits, is apt to startle the traveller who may be in jeopardy, as if laughing and mocking at his mis- fortunes,” and Mr. Bennett in his ‘Wanderings’ says ‘“‘Its peculiar gurgling laugh, commencing in alow and gradually rising to a high and loud tone, is often heard in all parts of the colony, the deafening noise being poured forth while the bird remains perched upon a neighbouring tree; it rises with the dawn, when the woods re-echo with its gurgling laugh; at sunset it is again heard, and as that glorious orb sinks in the west, a last ‘good night’ is given in its peculiar tones to all within hearing.” It, frequents every variety of situation; the luxuriant bushes stretching along the coast, the more thinly timbered forest, the belts of trees studding the parched plains and the brushes of the higher ranges being alike favoured with its presence; over all these localities it is rather thinly distributed, being nowhere very numerous. Its food which is of a mixed character, consists exclusively of animal substances ; reptiles, insects and crabs, however, appear to be its favourite diet ; it devours lizards with avidity, and it is not an unfrequent sight to see it bearing off a snake in its bill to be eaten at leisure ; it also preys on small mammalia. I recollect shooting a Great Brown Kingfisher in South Australia in order to secure a fine rat I saw hanging from its bill, and which proved to be a rare species. The Dacelo gigas breeds during the months of August and September, generally selects a hole in a large gum-tree for the purpose and deposits its beautiful pearl-white eggs, which are one inch and nine lines long, by one inch and five lines broad, on the decomposed wood at the bottom. When the young are hatched, it defends its breeding-place with great courage and daring, darting down upon any intruder who may attempt to ascend the tree. The sexes present so little difference in their plumage, that they are scarcely distinguishable from each other; neither do the young at a month old exhibit any great variation from the adult, the only difference being that the markings are somewhat darker and the brown more generally diffused. Mr. Diggles’ account of the present species is as follows:— “This, the most common of the three species known to inhabit Australia, is found in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the southern parts of Queensland. It generally fre- quents open timbered country or cleared land in the neighbourhood of stations, farms, or where timber is being burned off, when snakes, lizards, locusts, &c. offer it an ample repast- Should it meet with a reptile with which it is unable individually to cope, its loud cries soon bring others to its assistance. In dealing with a snake, its custom is to seize the reptile, ascend a short distance in the air and drop it, immediately following and repeating the process a number of times, until its victim, stunned and bewildered, falls an easy prey to its voracious enemy, who, first battering it from side to side, finishes by swallowing it entire. Snakes two feet long have been taken out of the stomach, a fact which should lead persons to afford so useful an animal all possible protection. It is usually seen perching on a dead branch almost motionless, or merely moving its head from side to side, as it intently scans the ground from its elevated position. The popular name by which this bird is universally known is derived from the circumstance that it imitates in no small degree a loud boisterous laugh, which is continued for some time and accompanied with an upward jerking motion of the tail. The nest is situated in the hole of atree. The eggs, two in number, are pearl-white and about the size of a pigeon’s.” For the subjoined account of the habits of the present bird I am indebted to an entertaining little popular work entitled ‘Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist,’ by the late Mr. H. Wheelwright, better known as the ‘Old Bushman.’ He relates as follows (p. 127) :— “About an hour before sunrise the bushman is awakened by the most discordant sounds, as if a troop of fiends were shouting, whooping, and laughing round him in one wild chorus; this is the morning song of the ‘ Laughing Jackass,’ warning his feathered mates that daybreak is at hand. At noon the same wild laugh is heard, and as the sun sinks into the west, it again rings through the forest. I shall never forget the first night I slept in the open bush in this country: it was in the Black Forest. I woke about day- break after a confused sleep, and for some minutes I could not remember where I was, such were the extraordinary sounds that greeted my ears; the fiendish laugh of the Jackass, the clear, flute-like note of the magpie; the hoarse cackle of the Wattle-birds; the jargon of flocks of Leatherheads; and the screaming of thousands of Parrots as they dashed through the forest, all joining in chorus, formed one of the most extraordinary concerts I have ever heard, and seemed at the moment to have been got up for the purpose of welcoming the © stranger to this land of wonders on that eventful morning. I have heard it hundreds of times since but never with the same feelings that I listened to it then. The Laughing Jackass is the bushman’s clock, and being by no means shy, of a companionable nature, a constant attendant about the " push: tent, and a destroyer of snakes, is regarded like the Robin at home, as a sacred bird in the Australian forests. It is an uncouth-looking bird, a huge species of land-Kingfisher, nearly the size of a crow, of a rich chesnut brown and dirty white colour, the wings slightly chequered with light blue, after the manner of the 3ritish Jay; the tail feathers long, rather pointed, and barred with brown. It has the foot of the Kingfisher, a very formidable, long, poimted beak, and a large mouth; it has also a kind of crest which it erects when angry or frightened; and this gives it a very ferocious appearance. It is a common bird in all the forests throughout the year ; breeds in the hole of a tree, and the eggs are white; generally seen in pairs, and by no means shy; their principal food appears to be small reptiles, grubs and caterpillars. As I said before, it destroys snakes. I never but once saw them at this game: a pair of Jackasses had disabled a carpet-snake under an old gum-tree, and they sat on a dead branch above it, every now and then darting down and pecking it, and by their antics and chattermg seemed to con- sider it a capital joke. I can’t say whether they ate the snake—I fancy not; at least the only reptiles I ever found in their stomachs have been small lizards. ‘The first sight that struck me on landing in London was a poor old Laughing Jackass moped up in a cage, in Ratcliffe Highway: I never saw a more miserable, woe-begone object; I quite pitied my poor old friend, as he sat dejected on his perch: and the thought struck me at the time that - we were probably neither of us benefited in changing the quiet freedom of the bush for the noise and bustle of the modern Babylon.” Mr. E. P. Ramsay kindly sends me a note to the effect that the average dimensions of the eggs of Dacelo gigas are 1°65 inches by 1:4 in breadth. Mr. Keulemans has been most happy in catching the attitude of the bird in the plate of the present species, the figure being drawn from a living specimen in the Zoological Gardens. Both races are illustrated in the plate, the nearer figure being taken from a (Jueensland specimen, while the other is drawn from a bird procured by my friend Mr. J. I’, Rutter, near Melbourne, and presented to me by that gentleman. @ DACELO LEACHI. DACELO LEACHI. (LEACH’S LAUGHING KINGFISHER.) Dacelo Leachii, , . ‘ ‘ j ‘ Lath. Linn, Trans. XV, p. 205 (1827). D. seapularibus brunneis: sexibus differentibus, mas 4 caud& cerulea, femind 4 caudé rufa distinguendo: subtus albescens. Hab. in parte orientali Australiz septentrionalis. Male. Head crested, white with a narrow streak of brown down the centre of the feathers; cheeks white with brown streaks; ear-coverts long and silky with very narrow brown streaks; back and scapularies umber brown, with a slightly paler edge; wing-coverts dark brown very broadly washed with bright shining cobalt; primary coverts deep blue; quills blackish, white at the base of both webs, the innermost secondaries light brown, the exterior web blue; lower part of the back andrump intensely bright cobalt, upper tail-coverts blue ; tail blue above, blackish-brown beneath with white tips to the feathers and the internal web, especially on the outer feather, very broadly barred with white; the outer web with a bar near the end anda slight white marking on the upper part of the feather; under-parts fulvous white ; sides of and a collar round the neck white, marked with thin brown bars; upper mandible blackish brown, under mandible yellowish; feet olive brown. Total length 16 inches, of bill from front 2.7, from gape 3.8, wing 8.0, tail 5.0, tarsus 0.7, middle toe 1.5, hind toe 0.7. Female. Similar to the male, but having the tail-coverts and tail rich brown, barred with blue, the tail-feathers becoming paler towards the tip, which is white, the bar before the end of the feather being very narrow. ‘Total length 17 inches, of bill from front 2.9, from gape 3.9, wing 8.0, tail 5.0, tarsus 0.7, middle toe 1.5, hind toe 0.7. Hab. Queensland (Gould, Diggles). This fine Kingfisher is a native of Queensland and the North-eastern portion of the Aus- tralian continent. Mr. Ramsay has recorded it from Port Denison, and its geographical range is given below on the authority of Mr. Diggles. Mr. Gould, who has published beautiful figures of the male and female in the “Birds of Additional references.—Dacelo Leachii, Gray, Gen. of Birds, I. p. 78 (1846); Gould, Birds of Austr. IT. pl. 19 (1847) ; id. Intr. Birds of Austr. p. 29 (1848); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p, 51 (1848); Bonap, Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 154 (1850); Reich. Vog. Neu. Holl. p. 210 (1850) ; id. Handb, Alced. p. 41, t. cecexxvi, fig. 3159-60 (1851); Maegill. Voy. Rattl. II, p. 356 (1852); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 16 (1852); Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854) ; Gray, P.Z.S. 1858, p. 189; Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 20 (1863); Ramsay, Ibis, 1865, p. 84; Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. I, p. 124 (1865); Diggles, Orn, Austr. pl. 12 (1867); Gray, Hand-list of b. p- 89 (1869). Australia” states that ‘the habits, actions, food, and indeed the whole of the economy of the Dacelo Leachii, are so like those of the D. gigas, that a separate description of them is unnecessary.” The measurements given by me represents the average dimensions of the bird. They differ considerably from those given by Mr. Diggles, who | suspect, has either committed an error with regard to those he has furnished, or recorded the size of an unusually large specimen. In Mr. Diggles’s notes on the bird, which I here transcribe, he says: — ‘‘This large and powerful species of Kingfisher, is as plentiful at Rockhampton as D. gigantea is in the South. It occurs, though by no means abundantly, in the neighbourhood of Brisbane and Ipswich, and in its habits is similar to the common species. It feeds on reptiles, centipeds and insects, and dives under the water for fish, which are carried to the nearest log, beaten to death, and devoured entire. It is sometimes destructive among young chickens, watching its opportunity and quietly dropping on its prey, carrying it off without the noise and disturbance caused by the swoops of a hawk, and consequently escap- ing without detection or suspicion. From its great size and strength, this Dacelo is able to encounter snakes of considerable size ; and the indiscriminate slaughter of so useful a bird ought on every occasion to be strongly condemned. Its note differs from that of D. gigas — in being more harsh and not lengthened into the peculiar laugh of that bird. It builds its nest in the hollow branch of a tree, the same being formed of strips of dry bark and similar materials. Eggs—two, white, and nearly round.” The description, measurements, and figures are from a fine pair in my collection from Queensland. ee Saher se Po ee ee ee ee DACELO CERVINA. DACELO CERVINA. (BUFF LAUGHING KINGFISHER). — Dacelo cervina : : ; : ; Gould, Birds of Austr. IT, pl. 20 (c. 1346). Paraleyon cervina . : ; ‘ : : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein, th. II, p. 164 (1860). Dacelo cervicalis ‘ : : ; : Kaup. Fam. Eisv., p. 8 (1848.) Dacelo salussit E : - ‘ : ; Hombr. & Jacq., Voy. Pol. Sud. III, p. 100, pl. 23 (1853). La rool, of the Aborigines of Port Essington (Gould). D. scapularibus et interscapulio brunneis: sexibus dissimilibus, mari 4 cauda cyanea, feminé a cauda rufo- brunnea distinguendo: subtus fulvescens: pogonio externo rectricis extime haud albo fasciato. Hab. in peninsula ‘ Cape York” dicta. Maie. Head crested, white, with dark brown longitudinal stripes down the centre of each feather, the sides of the head near the nape tinged with greenish blue ; the forehead tinged with buff; cheeks and ear-coverts buffy-white with thin longitudinal streaks of brown ; sides of the neck and a collar encircling the latter, buff with ajfew brown markings ; upper part of the back and scapularies dark brown, the edges of the feathers being a little lighter; wing-coverts very rich silvery cobalt; edge of the wing white; primary-coverts prussian blue; quills blackish, paler underneath, white at the base and for the greater part of the inner web, the outer web margined with blue, especially on the secondaries ; entire back very rich silvery cobalt; tail bright indigo above, blackish beneath, all the feathers tipped with white, and having one (sometimes two) irregular bars of white near the end of the feather, the outer web of the exterior rectrix uniform blue, except a white spot near the end of the feather; chin white, extending a little way down the throat; rest of the under surface of the body buff with minute transverse vermiculations ; upper mandible brownish horn colour, lower mandible yellowish, brown at the base; feet olive-brown. Total length 16 inches, of bill from front 2.7, from gape 3.7, wing 7.5, tail 5.3, tarsus 0.9, middle toe L 4, hind toe 0.6. Female. Similar to the male, but the tail rufous-brown, barred with bright blue. Hab. Cape York (Cockerell) Port Essington (Gould). Additional references.—Dacelo cervina, Gray, Gen of Birds, I, p. 78 (1846), id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 51 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 154 (1850), Reich. Vig. Neuholl, p. 88 (1850), id. Handb. Alced., p. 40, t. cecxxviii, fig. 3164-65 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale, Phil. Mus. p. 16 (1852). Gray, P.Z.S., 1858, p. 189, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced., p. 19 (1868), Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. I, p. 125 (1865), Gray, Hand-list of Birds, p. 89 (1869). This splendid Kingfisher is closely allied to the Dacelo Leachi, but differs in the buff colour of the under side of the body, and in the generally brighter tone of the plumage. It is by no means a common bird in ‘collections, those contained in our museums in this country being generally received from Cape York. Mr. Gould, who has given very beautiful figures of the species in his great work on the ‘ Birds of Australia,’ has recorded in his ‘ Handbook’ (/.c.) the following details, which, as they seem to embody all that is known respecting it, I here transcribe :— ‘* The North-Western portions of Australia constitute the true habitat of this species ; it was observed in tolerable abundance by Sir George Grey during his expedition to that part of the country, and specimens of it have formed a part of every collection of any extent made at Port Essington. In disposition it appears to be more shy and wary than the Dacelo gigas of New South Wales, of which it is a representative. Gilbert, who observed it in the Coburg Peninsula, states that it ‘‘ inhabits well-wooded forests, generally in pairs, is very 'shy and difficult to procure, and is very fond of perching on the topmost dead branch of a tree, whence it can have an uninterrupted view of everything passing around, and whence it pours out its loud discordant tones. Sometimes three or four pairs may be heard at one time, when the noise is so great that no other sound can be heard. The natives assert that it breeds in the honey-season, which is during the months of May, June and July.” ‘In his ‘Journal of an overland expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington,’ Dr. Leichart states that “the Laughing Jackass (Dacelo cervina, Gould) observed near the Gulf of Carpentaria is of a different species trom that of the eastern coast, is of a smaller size, and speaks a different language; but the noise is by no means so ridiculous as that of Dacelo gigas ; he is heard before sunrise, and immediately after sunset, like his representative of the eastern coast ; the latter was observed as far as the Upper Lynd, where the new one made his appearance. The food of this Kingfisher is doubtless similar to that of the Dacelo gigas. The stomachs of those examined by Gilbert were tolerably muscular, and contained the remains of Coleopterous and other kinds of insects.” The figures represented in the opposite plate are taken from an adult pair of birds, the male being a Port Essington specimen lent me by Mr. Gould, and the female one of those recently brought home from Cape York by Messrs Cockerell and Thorpe. The descriptions are from the same birds. + he ‘eal, i, DACELO OCCIDENTALIS. (WESTERN LAUGHING KINGFISHER). Dacelo occidentalis. : F y : F Gould, P.Z.S., 1869, p. 602. D. scapularibus et interscapuliis brunneis: sexibus dissimilibus, mari 4 caudié cyanea, femini 4 cauda rufo- brunnea distinguendo: subtus fulvescens: pogonio externo rectricis extimi albo conspicué fasciato. Hab. in parte septentrionali Australiz occidentalis. Head crested, white with the shaft of the feather narrowly bordered with dark brown, giving a striped appearance; back and scapularies light brown; upper part of the back white, lower part and rump very rich silvery cobalt; lesser wing-coverts light brown, the greater coverts for the most part bright cobalt; edge of the wing white; primary- coverts bright indigo; quills blackish, white at the base, the outer edge especially of the secondaries broadly washed with indigo, the apex of the feather narrowly edged with white; upper tail-coverts indigo; tail bright indigo above, black beneath, the two centre feathers wholly blue, the others for the most part blue tipped with white and the inner web having a single white bar or spot, the outer rectrix regularly barred with white on both webs for the entire length ; feathers at the base of the bill, cheeks, throat, sides and back of the neck white; ear-coverts white striped with lines of brown; rest of the under surface of the body pale fulvous, under wing-coverts whitish, faintly barred with many lines of brown; upper mandible dark horn-colour, yellowish along the base, lower mandible yellowish, darker at the base. Total length 16 inches, of bill from front 3.2, from‘ gape 4.1, wing 7.5, tail 4.3, tarsus 0.7, middle toe 1.4, hind toe 0.7. Female. Similar to the male, but has the upper tail-coverts and tail sienna barred with bright blue. Total length 16.0 inches, of bill trom front 3.0, from gape 3.7, wing 7.8, tail 4.7, tarsus 0.6, middle toe 1.4, hind toe 0.7. Hab. North Western Australia (Gregory, mus. J. Gould). In a communication made to the Zoological Society on the 25th of November, 1869, this species was described by Mr. Gould, and separated on apparently very good distinc- tions from Dacelo cervina. Thereis in the North Western species a very decided pre- ponderance in size of bill, and the tails of the male birds differ considerably as will be seen by the accompanying wood-cuts, which represent the outer rectrix of a male of each species. | ie 4 & \) + . HESS \ a X\ LAAN) r Me ~ lh yw, pen paw 1. D, occidentalis. 2. D. cervina. In the present species the outer web is very distinctly barred, while in D. cervina it is entirely unbarred. I should mention, however, that in the British Museum there are specimens of a Dacelo from Port. Essington, which have the outer rectrix barred with white, and which ought for that reason to be referred to D. occidentalis, but the bars are not nearly so distinct as in the figure of the type-specimen given above, and as therefore we find that, as represented in the above wood-cut, the bars on the inner web of the outer rectrix in D. cervina are apparently gradually assumed, we cannot place too much reliance on thecharacter of the tail, without further evidence before us. We are compelled at least to believe that D. occidentalis ranges as far as Port Essington, where it inosculates with D. cervina, which, on the other hand, takes its place from Port Essington to Cape York. The chief difference between the two species is therefore to be found in the huge bill of the Western form. The type-specimens are apparently very old birds as the plumage generally is much worn and bleached. ‘The description given above is taken from the original types, which were kindly placed in my hands by Mr. Gould, and a good represen- tation of them will be found in the accompanying plate. Having recently visited Leiden I found in the splendid collection of birds in the Museum there several specimens of a Dacelo from Port Albany apparently referable to the present species. After examining these I feel more sceptical as to the distinctness of D. occidentalis from D. Leachi, since in several of the specimens at Leiden, there were traces of markings on the breast, and the tail-feathers were similar. Unfortunately I had not at hand a sufficient number of specimens of D. Leachi for comparison, but it will be necessary to subject aseries of each to a rigid examination before finally deciding on their specific separation. From Dacelo cervina T am satisfied that the present species is distinct. y DACELO GAUDICHAUDI, ¢ & @. DACELO GAUDICHAUDL (GAUDICHAUD’S KINGFISHER.) Dacelo Gaudichaud : ‘ Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l’Uran. p. 112, pl. 15 (1824), ° » Gaudichaudii . ‘ Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I. p. 78 (c. 1844). Choucalcyon Gaudichadii Less. Traité d’Orn, p, 248 (1831). Monachalcyon Gaudichaudii . Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 37, t. cecexxvy, fig. 3156 (1851). Sauromarptis Gaudichaudi . Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 164 (1860). Mankinetrous and Mangrogone, of the Papuan natives (Quoy and Gaimard). Salba, of the natives of Guébé, (Quoy and Gaimard). D. scapularibus et interscapulio nigerrimis: sexibus differentibus, mari 4 cauda eceruled, femina a cauda rufo-brunnea distinguendo: pileo cum genis et regione parotica nigris: torque cervicali lete ochraced: pectore eastaneo. Hab. in Nova Guinea et in insulis adjacentibus. Male.—Crown of the head, cheeks, ear-coverts, upper part of the back and scapu- laries deep black, in very old birds a few of the feathers narrowly edged with bright blue ; a patch of feathers along the hase of the upper mandible, a stripe behind the eye, and a collar round the neck ochre; a spot on the occiput, white; wing-coverts black, washed with bright cobalt; wing-feathers blackish, the imner-web light ochre from the base, the outer web edged with deep indigo, more especially on the secondaries; lower part of the back and upper tail-covert bright silvery blue; tail deep indigo above, black underneath ; throat pure white; sides of the neck and under wing-coverts white tinged with light ochre ; the rest of the under-surface of the body deep chesnut; bill light yellow, the upper man- dible tinged with black; feet black. ‘Total length 11.8 inches, of bill from front 1.8, from gape 2.7, wing 5.3, tail, 4, tarsus 0.09, middle toe 0.9, hind toe 0.5. Female——Similar to the male, but having the colours not quite so bright, and the tail reddish-brown. Additional references.—Dacelo Gaudichaudi, Miller, Verh, Ethn, p. 22 (1889), Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p- 52 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. I, p. 154 (1850), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 14 (1852), Sclater, Proc. Lin. Soe. II, p. 155 (1858), Gray, P. ZS. 1858, p. 171, id. P. Z. 8. 1859, p. 154, id. P. Z. 8.1861, p. 438, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 20 (1863), id. Vog. Ned. Ind. pp. 18, 49, pl. 4 (1864), Rosenb. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 118. Choucaleyon Gaudichaudi, Lonap. Consp. Vol, Anis. p. 9 (1854). Hab. New Guinea (Quoy and Gaimard, Wallace, von Rosenberg), Waigiou (Wallace), Mysol (Wallace), Ceram (Mus Lugd.), Aru Islands (Wallace). For the discovery of this beautiful Kingfisher science is indebted to MM. Quoy and Gaimard, the Naturalists attached to the ‘‘ Uranie and Physicienne” in their voyage round the world. In the ‘‘ Zoologie” of the above-mentioned voyage we find the following note. ‘* This species, to which we have given the name of our friend and colleague, the Botanist attached to this expedition, inhabits the woods of the Papuan Islands; the abori- gines call it mangrogone and mankinetrous; the inhabitants of Guébé call it salba, these being the names employed by the islanders for all Kingfishers. It is not shy and is easily approached. The individuals that we killed had their beaks still covered with the earth in which they had just been digging to procure their food.” A tolerable figure of one of the type specimens is given in the ‘* Atlas” of the voyage, which is reproduced by Prof. Reichenbach in his ‘‘ Handbuch,” but it gives no idea of the extreme beauty of the bird, which is one of the handsomest Kingfishers in existence. The exertions of Mr. Wallace revealed many new facts concerning the geographical distribution of the present species, as will be seen by a reference to the list of localities given above. I am indebted to his kindness for the following note. ‘¢ This fine species was not uncommon in swampy jungle, where its curious loud barking was often heard, and was sometimes mistaken for a dog. It feeds on crustacea, mollusca and myriapoda which it picks up off the ground. I at first took the blue and brown-tailed forms for distinct species and have a note to the former ‘‘ sexes alike;” but have unfortunately not kept a blue-tailed female, as I afterwards came to the conclusion that the difference was sexual.” Herr G. von Rosenberg remarks as follows, in his ‘‘ Beitrag zur Ornithologie von Neu-Guinea” (/c.) :—‘‘ A remarkable appearance is observed in this species as in Chalcopsitta leucopygialis ; there exist, namely, two constant varieties of it, one with a reddish-brown, the other with a blue tail, but otherwise coloured alike. The latter variety is the rarest.. It lives in all the other islands belonging to New Guinea, and is by no means uncommon.” Mr. Wallace, having carefully sexed his specimens, enables us to determine with cer- tainty that the birds with the brownish-red tail are the females, but I think that the red tail is not assumed at once, but gradually. My friend Dr. T. Salvadori of Turin, who has taken a great interest in the present work, lately forwarded me a list of specimens of Kingfishers contained in the Zoological Museum of that city, and in his remarks upon the present species, he mentions that they possess one specimen only at Turin from the Aru Islands, ‘‘ caudd rufo-castaned, rectrice und tantum cyaned.” Dr. Salvadori does not tell me from whom the specimen was procured, but it is labelled a male. The accuracy of this determination I must call in question, in the face of the evidence brought by Mr. Wallace, but Dr. Salvadori’s remarks are not the less interesting as shewing that the red tail is not directly assumed. Moreover, the original describers (/.c) state that ‘‘ two other individuals, coming from the same localities present some slight differences; the tail of one has no black at the extremity and that of the other is red underneath, a shade of colour, which in the case of the latter is probably due to age; for sundry blue spots seem to indicate that in time this part of the birds plumage will become entirely of this same colour.” The fine pair represented in the accompanying plate were procured by Mr. Wallace. The male, in his collection, is from Waigiev; the female, in my own collection, was obtained in New Guinea. DACELO TYRO. Pech TY RO, (MANTLED KINGFISHER.) Dacelo tyro, : : Gray, P.Z.S. 1858, p. 171, pl. Sauromarptis tyro, : Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. IT, p. 164, note (1860). D. scapularibus et interscapulio nigerrimis: sexibus vix distinguendis: pileo cum genis et regione parotica nioris, ochraceo maculatis: torque cervicali et dorso superiori nigris, ochraceo fasciatis: pectore ochraceo. Hab. in insulis Papuanis dictis ‘‘ Aru.” Head, cheeks and ear-coverts black, spotted with light ochre; back and sides of the neck together with the. upper part of the back black, banded with deeper ochre; scapularies black; wing-coverts black, broadly washed with bright blue; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web light rufous from the base, the exterior web broadly margined with indigo, more especially on the secondaries; lower part of the back and upper tail coverts bright cobalt ; tail above indigo, beneath black; throat whitish ochre; under-surtace of the body deep ochre, deepest on the flanks and under tail-coverts ; bill with the upper mandible deep black, the lower manbible yellow; feet dusky black. Total length 12 inches, of bill from front 1.6, from gape 2.5, wing 6, tail 4.7, tarsus 0.6, middle toe 1, hind toe 0.4. Hab. Aru Islands ( Wallace, von Rosenberg). This remarkably handsome species, justly characterized by Mr. Gould as ‘‘ one of the finest of Mr. Wallace’s discoveries,” seems to be confined to the Aru Islands. Professor Schlegel in the ‘‘ Museum des Pays Bas” and again in his ‘* Vogel van Nederlandsch Indié” insisted that it was only the young of Dacelo Gaudichaudi, a conclusion that a sub- sequent consideration compelled him to rectify (/.c.), and he now recognises it as a distinct species. Mr. Gould has given a very beautiful plate in the twelfth part of his ‘‘ Birds of Asia” representing the male and female. The habits of the present bird exactly resemble those of D. Gaudichaudi: according to Mr. Wallace. My description and measurements are taken from a finely preserved skin in his collection, procured by him in the Aru Islands. The female resembles the male, with the exception of the wing-feathers and the tail, which have a greenish tinge. Additional references.—Dacelo tyro, Gray, Cat. Birds from New Guinea, p. 19 (1858), id. P. Z. S. 1861, . 433, Gould, Birds of Asia, pl.—(1860), Rosenb. Journ, f. Orn. 1864, p. 118, Schlegel, Ned. Tidschy, 1866, p. 30 4 339, ‘has aol : at ‘ er a * r * a | al =! 3 . “s , ‘ Qa _— - 1 ” . é "i 5 . H . . = . + 4 7 : * « 4 = 1) ¢ ; Sa Res. ger. te ; 2 z - > ae “saa = ¥. - = . -- = fae BSA i « “)* +. ~ aa ad r ; : be at Gere bg yt ieee Tpaag tgs S35 Se iF ROR eRe Sai > ad 3 4 t a4 ~ ? 4 *. Pp. ap & > amazona », americana » asiatica atricapilla atricapilla, var. australasia australis » azurea »» azureus » bengalensis bengalensis, var. sondaica beryllina bicolor biru brama brasiliensis cabanisi capensis coerulea , ceruleocephala . ceerulescens cancrophaga chelicuti INDEX. 221 1, 2 2 51 67 173 147 172 Pe 197 197 177, 182, 197, 198, 250 197 223 165 Vv. vi. 1,2 67 197 177 69, 79 83 89 23, 24, 25 169 177 215 41 41 27 2,3, 4, 8,11,12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24, 105 11 31, 168 91 31 169 89 87 103, 104 141 39 31 171 123 Alcedo chloris », chlorocephala 5, Chlorocephala, var. y » cinereifrons 5, cinerea » ecollaris » collaris, var. » coromanda », coromandeliana . » cristata » cyanea », eyaneocephala » eyanocephala » eyanoleuca “ cyanopectus » cyanostigma » cyanostigmata » eyanotis »» cyanoventris pt. COG” iu, CADDIE. » erithaca », erythrogaster », euryzona - - fuatan » gigantea 3 pigas . » grandis » gularis » guttata » guttatus » guacu «sind » indica », ispida 5, ispida minor »» ispida, var. 5 jaguacati 5, japonica » javana 5, javanica lazuli . 5, Lecontei », leucocephala », leucogaster ,, leucogastra ,, Lindsayi », lugubris madagascariensis malimbica » maxima melanoptera melanorhyncha . ——— ow 55 35, 86, 37, 38 35 141 167 281 205 119 171 19, 29, 30 161, 165, 285 285 285 19, 21, 30 165 67 57 79 91 91 ee $8.4 7 12% 15, 14; 17, 38, 63, 65, 143 it 165, 167 95 INDEX. PAGE, PaGE. Alcedo meninting 23, 24, 32 | Alcyone azurea 25 »» minor 11 41, 45, 47, 49, »» minor moluccensis 21 2) eee ; 51, 58 Ss ace ce eae 11, 14,21, 22) »» azurea, var. Lessonii 49 4 113 » Gincta : 55, 56 43 Mais 39 e cyanopectus 55, 56, 113 5, natalensis 145 ,, diemensis 41, 47 » nigricans 19, 29 » lepida 131 » niitida 144, 145 ,, Lessoni 149, 51 » mutans 144, 145 », pulchra 41, 45 », nympha 269 pusilla 53, 54 5» omnicolor 167 amauroptera, Halcyon . 97 » Pallas ta a Pelargopsis 97 >» .picta . 141, 145 Rhamphalcyon 97 » picturata 145, 146 Amazon Green ee 83 » pileata 169 amazona, Alcedo 83 » puella 169 - Ceryle 83 5, purpurea 119, 120, 141 a Chloroceryle . 83 » pusilla 53, 141 amazon, Ceryle 83 »» quadribrachys 25, 26 amazonia, Ceryle . 83, 84 », Yubescens 83 Amazonis bicolor 91 5» wuabra. 119 Amazonis superciliosa 93 soit Uda. 51 americana, Alcedo 89 »» Tuficeps 213 = Ceryle : 84, 89 », rufirostris 165 i Chloroceryle 89 » sacra . 239 Angola Kingfisher 189 », sacra, var. D 223, 237 Aru Island Kingfisher 273 »» sacra, var. € 237 Ashy-fronted Kingfisher . 195 5, semiceerulea 173 asiatica, Alcedo 23, 24, 25 », semitorquata 26, 27, Si Astacophilus concretus . 219 », senegalensis 191 Lindsayi . : 217 », senegalensis, var. a 4 171 atricapilla, Alcedo ‘ : 169 5 senegalensis, var. b ; 173 a var., Alcedo . : aber », senegalensis, var. d : 173 Dacelo : : 169 », senegalensis, var. e 171, 229 atthis, Graccula : : 2 », senegalensis, var. g . ital aurantius, Brachypternus- : 16 »» smyrnensis 161, 162 australasia, Alcedo , ; 215 », smyrnensis, var. b : 165 australasie, Haleyon . : 215 », solitaria 115 5 Sauropatis . 215 5, sondaica Lies a3 Todirhamphus 239 » Stellata cit Australian Saw-billed aac apor 153 » striolata 183 australis, Aleedo 41 », subispida 1 Azure Kingfisher 41 », superciliosa 93 azurea, Alcedo 41 », torquata Tea 25, 41, 45, 47 , tribrachys 41 » Aleyone { 49,°61, 63". », tridactyla 119 » Oeyxn 41, 49 ,», tridactyla, var. 121 azurea, var. Lessonii, Alcyone 49 Pe ar: 249 azureus, Aleedo 5 . 27 », ultramarina 141 badia, Halcyon 159 » undulata 285 », Dacelo 159 » vagans 237 Bakaka : 99 5, Variegata 183 Banded Kingfisher 251 »» Venerata — 245 Bang-kaka 103 »» Verreauxii 23, 24 Batchian Kingfisher 51 » vestita 83 Beautiful Kingfisher 131 1 Vintsioides 33 Belted Kingfisher 79 », Viridirufa 91 2,3,4, 8,11,12, viridis 89 bengalensis, Aleedo 13, 14, 15, 16, Alc y on, calipyga 155 17, 23, 24, 105 aleyon, Alcedo 69, 79 bengalensis, var. sondaica, Alcedo 11 », Ceryle 79, 166 Beryl Kingfisher : 31 5, Chloroceryle 79 beryllina, Alcedo x 31, 168 », Ispida 79 bicincta, Ispida 61, 64 », Megaceryle 79 ¥ Ceryle 61 », Streptoceryle 79 bicolor, Alcedo 91 Aleyone Vii. », Amazonis 91 Alcyone affinis 51 », Ceryle 91 bicolor, a Binti Binti-abang Bintsi biru, Alcedo bitorquata, Ispida : Black and Blue Kingfisher Black-capped Kingfisher . Black-cheeked Kingfisher . Blue and White Kingfisher Blue-crested Kingfisher Blue-eared Kingfisher Blue-girt Kingfisher Bornean Kingfisher E Bornean Stork-billed Kingfisher Bouru Kingfisher : Brachypternus aurantius brama, Alcedo Brazilian Green Kingfisher brasiliensis, Alcedo : Broad-belted Kingfisher . Brown-hooded Kingfisher . Brown - shouldered Stork - billed Kingfisher brunniceps, Halcyon buccoides, Dacelo : Buff Laughing Kingfisher burmanica, Pelargopsis . Burmese Stork-billed cos sac Burong-biru Burong-Kaka . Burong-udang . Buru Cabanis? Green Kingfisher Cabanisi, Alcedo », Ceryle , Cabanisii, Chloroceryle . ezrulea, Alcedo us Ispidina ceeruleocephala, Alcedo. Corythornis ceerulescens, Alcedo ceruleus, Todus ezesia, Megaceryle cajeli, Ceyx », Dacelo. calipyga, Aleyon Callaleyon coromanda 55 lilacina Callialeyon coromanda . cancrophaga, Alcedo - Halcyon Cancrophaga cinereifrons cyanoleuca malimbica rufiventris semicerulea senegalensis senegaloides capensis, Alcedo Halcyon : ae Dot agen Carcineutes ” melanops pulchellus Cassini, Halcyon INDEX. 38 137 108, 104 103, 105, 111 107 Rix, 253 251, 252 Xvili. 257 223 iil. Ceram Kingfisher Certhia lutea . cervicalis, Dacele cervina, Dacelo », LParaleyon Ceryle 5, abyssinica 5, aleyon amazona 5) amazon + amazonia americana bicincta bicolor Cabanisii gigantea guttata. inda leucomelanura ,, lugubris maxima », rudis », Sharpei » stellata superciliosa », torquata », varia viridirufa Ceycopsis fallax Ceyx Ceyx azurea . cajeli cyanea . cyanopectus » Dillwynni erythaca », lepida. luzoniensis », meninting melanura microsoma », philippinensis purpurea pusilla . Pile ae rufidorsa », Sharpei solitaria tridactyla ., uropygialis Wallacei Chalchopsitta leucopyg gialis chalcites, Chloroceryle. , chelicutensis, Halcyon . chelicuti, Alcedo = Dacelo be Halcyon - Pagurothera . Chelicutia fuscicapilla ” pygmea - striolata Chesnut Kingfisher PaGE. 279 156 291 256, 291, 293 291 Vili. 229 79, 166 83 83 83, 84 84, 89 61 91 87, 90 67, 68, 69 57, 60 91, 92 61 59, 60 GF, 68,,69;5 715 92, 93 Lon AY UOg hae { 80, 84 61, 65 91 xy., 135 127 41 55 123, 125, 126 119 125, 127, 129, 138, 134 119 23, 115 117, 125 119 56, 113 119 53 119 (120, 121, 129, 138 123 116 { 119, 120, 121, Oy 1225195 138 129 296 89 183 183 183 183 183 ly rd 183 183 159 INDEX. iv. PaGE Chidolde 67 Chilian Kingfisher 77 chloris, Alcedo 229 », Dacelo 229 », Haleyon 166, 229, 230 », Sauropatis 229 , YTodirhamphus . 229 chlorocephala, Alcedo 229, 237 “ Dacelo 229 7 Halcyon 229 var. b., Dacelo 239 chlorocephalus, Todirhamphus 229 Chloroceryle aleyon 79 99 amazona 83 es americana . 89 55 bicolor 91 4 Cabanisi 87 oe chalcites 89 = inda 91 a leucosticta . 83, 84 + stellata 77 7 superciliosa 93 viridirufa 21 Choucaleyon Gaudichaudi 295 Chuckack-wrang 121 cincta, Aleyone 55, 56 cinerea, Alcedo 73 cinereifrons, Alcedo 1y¥5 9 Cancrophaga 195 + Dacelo 195 + Halcyon 195 Ae Todirhamphus 195 Cinnamon Kingfisher. 213 Cinnamon-breasted Kingfisher 259 cinnamomina, Dacelo 213 oe Halcyon — m Sauropatis cinnamominus, Todirhamphus Cittura ‘ » cyanotis », sanghirensis collaris, Alcedo », Haleyon : ,, Todirhamphus . » var. 1, 2, Alcedo Columma flammea Common Kingfisher concretus, Astacophilus . concreta, Dacelo ee Halcyon = Paraleyon Coporhamphus recurvirostris - sacer veneratus coromanda, Alcedo : se Callaleyon . rs Callialeyon . ¥ Dacelo ‘ Halcyon 5 major, Halcyon minor, Haleyon c oromandeliana, Alcedo me Halcyon major, Dacelo coromandelianus, Haleyon coromondelicus, Haleyon coromander, Haleyon 213, 214, 215 213 213 xx. 299, 300, 301, 304 299 245 229, 239 229 223 194 i. 219 219 16, 155, 156 155 155, 156 155 155 coronata, Dacelo os Halcyon “- Paraleyon a Todirhamphus Coronetted Kingfisher coromandeliana, Halcyon Corythornis : Corvus eegyptius Corythornis ceoruleocephala “: cristata = eyano-cephala cyanostigma ee galerita 35 leucogastra . “. nais = nitida vintsioides . Crab- eating Kingfisher, var. e Cream-coloured Stork-billed King- Sisher cristata, Alcedo », , Corythornis Cyanalcyon diops “F lazuli ; es leucopygius - Macleayii aa he cyanea, Alcedo ” , Ceyx . cyaneotophala, Alcedo . cyanipectus, Alcedo cyaniventris, Alcedo cyanocephala, Alcedo Corythornis cyanocephalus, Dacelo . cyanoleuca, Alcedo : 35 Cancrophaga + Haleyon cyanopectus, Aleyone ” red cyanostigma, Alcedo . 7 a <3 Corythornis cyanostigmata, Alcedo . cyanotis, Alcedo re Cittura 95 Dacelo As Halcyon 3 Ispidina cyanoventris, Alcedo a Halcyon Dacelo . » acteon , albicilla » albifrons ,, atricapilla », badia ,, buecoides » cajeli . a cervicalis »» cervina » chelicuti » chloris ,, chlorocephala ,, chlorocephala, var. b », cinereifrons », cinnamomina PaGE. 223 215, 223 215 215 215 16 vi. 2 36, 35, 39, 40 vi., 32, 37, 39, 40 39 vi., 35, 36 139 39, 40 145 33, 34 173 95 35, 36 35, 37, 38, 40 205 203 199 207 211 73, 237 35, 36, 37, 38 35, 36 35 141, 145 299, 300, 301, 304 300, 301 141 141 167 167, 168 Xvii. 173 197 223 169 159 251 125 291 236, 291, 293 183 229 229 239 195 213 Dacelo concreta ,, coromanda », coromandeliana . » coromandeliana major » coronata », eyanocephalus 5» eyanotis m dea -< + diops . 5) ©6aryas . i etallax », Forsteni » fulgida » funebris » fusca . », fuscicapilla », Gaudichaudi » gigantea oy. as. op Gah ane », kydrocharis » lazuli » Leachi » lepida », Lessonii », Lindsayi », Macleayii », macrorhina »» macrorhinus », macrorhynchus . », madagascariensis », melanops 5, melanoptera », melanura », monachus », nigrocyanea » nullitorquis », occidentalis », omnicolor » pileata »» princeps » pulchella set DYER. » pyrrhopygia » rubra . » ruffulus » ruficeps », rufidorsa » rufiventris » sabrina » sacra . », salussii » sancta », sanghirensis 1», senegalensis 5. smyrnensis » striata » Sstriolata » sylvia 39 BYDOAh . ,, torotoro ;, tschelicutensis tyro . 5, undulatus INDEX. PaGE. | 7 219 155 155 155 223 255 300, 301 269, 275, 277 205 193 135 235 257 243 161 177 295, 297 285, 290 179, 285, 266, 287, 288, 292, 299 227 273 208 289, 290, 292, 294 131 Q17 217 207 303 303 303 137 253 167 107 255 201 245 293 167 169 255 251 183 211 119 137 213 121 171 263 249 291 237, 239 300 191 161 Lig 183 259 153 1538 183 297 285 Dacelo vaillanti »» vVitiensis Dacelonineze damarensis, Halcyon Dark-blue Kingfisher dea; Alcedo », Tanysiptera Deceptive Kingfisher Dein-ngycen diemensis, Aleyone diemenensis, Aleyone Dillwynni, Ceyx Dillwyn’s Kingfisher diops, Alcedo », Dacelo », Halcyon ,, Todirhamphus divinus, Todirhamphus . domingensis, Megaceryle doris, 'Tanysiptera dryas, Haleyon » Dacelo Dull-green Kingfisher Dusky-crested Kingfisher . Eastern Kingfisher Elliot's Kingfisher Emilie, Tanysiptera Entomobia gularis 3 cyanoventris 5A fusca Pe pileata smyrnensis . Entomothera fusca gularis melanoptera 46 pileata + smyrnensis epops, Upupa erithaca, Alcedo Erooro erythaca, Ceyx erythrogaster, Alcedo Halcyon erythrogastra, Halcyon . erythrorhyncha, Halcyon Euphrosiz, Melidora Euphrosine, Melidora euryzona, Alcedo fallax, Ceycopsis », Dacelo : flammea, Columma : Flat-billed Kingfisher flavirostris, Haleyon ” rf yma ti. Flores Stork-billed Kingfisher floresiana, Pelargopsis . Forsteni, Dacelo a5 Haleyon Forsten’s Kingfisher Fraseri, Pelargopsis . Fraser’s Stork-billed Kingfisher fulgidus, Caridonax fulgida, Dacelo funebris, Dacelo Haleyon a Todirhamphus fusca, Alcedo . ” PaGE. 177 223 Visgn is 183, 184 25 281 279, 281 263 3038 153 243 161, 165, 285 INDEX. fusca, Dacelo . », Entomobia rl ,, Entomothera »» Haleyon . fuscicapilla, Chelicutia . et Dacelo Ee Halcyon Pagurothera galatea, Tany siptera Galatea Kingfisher z Gaudichaudi, Choucaleyon a Dacelo 3 Monachaleyon Sauromarptis Gaudichaud’s Kingfisher . gigantea, Alcedo . 5 Dacelo gigas, Alcedo » Dacelo » _ Paraleyon Gogobera f Grand Martin-pécheur de Ta Ni ounelle Guinée Grand Martin-pécheur de Madagascar Grayi, Dacelo »» Halcyon Sauropatis P Great Brown Kingfisher . Guepier de la cote de Coromandel gularis, Aleedo », Entomobia », Entomothera Ny Haleyon Halcyon abyssinica 5 albicilla 4 albiventris . australasize i badia hs cancrophaga e Cassini a chelicutensis se chelicuti “ vA chloris = “ chlorocephala . - cinereifrons - cinnamomina . A collaris “> concreta nt coromanda : coromanda major coromanda minor ; coromandeliana . coromandelianus $ coromandelicus : coromander i coronata cyanoleuca = cyanoventris se damarensis diops dryas erythrogaster . erythrogastra . erythrorhyncha flavirostris PaGE. 161 161 161 159, 161, 165, } 166 177 LA 170, 177, 185 285, 286, 287, ( 288, 290, 292 285 285 285 165 227 233 230 285 156 165 165 165 159, 165 229 197, 198 177, 182 215 159 159, 191 223 183 183 166, 229, 230 229 195 213, 214, 215 229, 239 219 155, 156 155 155 or as 150; 156 193, 196 171 171, 174 171 153 Halcyon Forsteni , fulgidus », funebris » fusca = fuscicapilla », Grayi is gularis m Hombroni > incinctus 45 irrorata es Jacquinoti ne Juli = lazuli 3 leucocephala . leucopygia lilacina SS Lindsayi ¥ Macleayi 7 malimbica “ melanops : ~ melanopterus . a monachus » multicolor of nigrocyanea ap omnicolor . orientalis 3 pealei pileata platyrostris »» princeps ie pulchella » pygmna — »» pytrhopygia »» pyrrhopygius . -s recurvirostris . 5 Reichenbachii . ” rufa : ¥ ruficeps », ruficollis .: rufiventer 3 rutiventris s sancta ip sanctus » saere, » saurophaga . », Schlegeli » semiceerulea 5, Senegalensis F senegaloides »» | Smyrnensis a smyrnensis, var. -. albogularis 3 sordida Be sordidus » striolata ne euperciliosa . » Swainsonii S torotoro he torquata % torquatus ry tuta . : ” vagans - »» Vaillantii re varia ea Renae om, PaGE. 235 257 242 159, 161, 165 170, tly res 185 233 159, 165, 166 221 207 187 207, 208 227 203 173 199 155 Piles 204, 207, 208 195, 196 253 167 255 167 201 167 178, 181 223, 225 169, 170 247 255 251 783 PAI | 211 247 213, 214 155, 156, 157 2138 165 173 wal 207, 212, 239 208, 299, 234, poe 239 223, 224, 225, 227, 239, 249, 250 197 155, 156 171, 173, 174, 178 189, 191 187 161 165 233 233 183, 185 2238, 225 173 151, 1538 195 195 245 237 177 219 Halcyon variegata a venerata 5 vitiensis : Hombroni, Actenoides . Haleyon Hombron’s Kingfisher Hooded Kingfisher Hook-billed Kingfisher hydrocharis, Dacelo Tanysiptera incinctus, Halcyon irrorata, Halcyon isis, Tanysiptera Jacquinoti, Halcyon jagoensis, Halcyon Japanese Spotted ee japonica, Alcedo javana, Alcedo », Halcyon ,, Ramphaleyon javanica, Alcedo 55 Halcyon Juliz, Haleyon », Sauropatis Kaioa Kingfisher Kingfisher, Acis 5 African White-headed ‘3 Aguapim = Amazon Green + Angola ¢ — Aru Island . Pr Ashy-fronted 46 Australian Saw- pilled i Azure ; ss Banded a Batchian a Beautiful i Belted 9 Beryl : i Black-capped ~ Black-cheeked “A Blue and Black a Blue and White 55 Blue-crested * Blue-eared . ne Blue-girt m Bornean. . Bornean Stork- pilled . Ae Bouru F 5 Brazilian Green 5 Broad-belted a Brown-hooded 98 Brown-shouldered Stork- billed , re Buff Laughing a Burmese Stork- billed . 5 Cabanis’ Green ,, Ceram a Chesnut is Chilian - Cinnamon 5 Cinnamon-breasted on Common % Coronetted . BY Cream-coloured Stork- billed . Dark-blue INDEX. Kingfisher, Deceptive 3 Dillwyn’s . a Dull-green . 3 Dusky-crested 5 Eastern ‘5 Elliot’s : - Flat-billed . Be Flores’ Stork-billed 5 Forsten’s a Fraser’s Stork-billed s6 Galatea = Gaudichaud’s BS Gould’s Stork-billed yi Great African fe Great Brown ~ Great Indian 3 Half-collared 3 Himalayan Spotted a Hombron’s . 7 Hooded 5 Hook-billed s Indian Stork-billed 3 Japanese Spotted “ Kaioa 3 Laughing ?, Lazuli 2 5. Leach’s Laughing Least Green a Leconte’s ne Lesson’s ps Libyan 5 Lindsay’s 3 Macleay’s 3 Madagasear = Malaced Siock-billed - A Malachite-crested aa Mangrove re Mantled 3 Many-coloured si Morty Island + New Hebrides nn New Zealand . Otaheite 5 Raou : 7 Red-backed Ba Red-breasted ey Respected - Riedel’s 4 Ruddy + Sacred , Bt Sad-coloured * Sanghir . < Saw-billed ~ 7 Senegal : ‘a Society Islands a St. Jago os Striped Sumatran Temminck’s . Venerated . White and Green White-breasted White-backed White-browed White-collared White-throated = Wood 221 255 303 105 59 267 285 203 289 93 149 49 183 217 207 137 107 35 187 297 167 263 227 235 249 265 211 269 249 283 155 223, 239 243 299 151 191 245 171 183 219 205 245 197 161 199 223 229 165 193 Vili. INDEX. PaGE. PaGE. Kooto-0-00 x. ; : 249 Martin-pécheur huppé de St. Domingue Kotare : : 237 Martin-pécheur noir et blanc de Senegal 61 Lacedo melanops Z : 253 Martin-pécheur petit vert de Cayenne 93 », pulchella 5 : 251 Martin-pécheur vert et blane de ee: La-rool $ : 291 enne 89 . Leeughing Kingfisher : , 285 Martin-pécheur vert et roux de Cay y- lazuli, Aleedo , : 203 enne : 91 ,, Cyanalceyon : : 203 Le Martin-pécheur violet des Indes . 155 » Dacelo. ‘ : 203 Martin-pescador celeste . ‘ 73 », Halcyon : : 203 Iartin-pescador celeste obscuro : 73 Lazuli Kingfisher ‘ . 203 Martin-pescador garganta roxa : 83 lazuli, Todirhamphus ; ; 203 Martin-pescador obscuro dorada £ 83 Leach’s Laughing Kingfisher : 289 Martin-pescador verde obscuro : 89 I 289, 290, 292, maxima, Alcedo : : 67 seachi, Dacelo 2 : , ‘ 294 Cares 67, 68, 69, 71, lessonia, Syma . : 151 af pets ; ; 80 Lessonii, Actenoides. : 227 » Megaceryle . : 67, 68 » _ Dacelo : : 217 maximus, Ichthynomus. ; 67 leucocephala, Aleedo : 173 Megaceryle aleyon : : 79 oa Halcyon . : 173 = ceesia : ; 73 leucopygia, Halcyon. 2 199 ~ domingensis ; 79 leucopygius, Cyanalcyon ; 199 - gigantea. . 67, 68 Libyan Kingfisher : ‘ 183 Fe guttata 3 : 57 lilacina, Callaley on 3 ; 155 : lugubris. , 59 » Halcyon : : 155 i. maxima . 3 67, 68 Lindsayi, Alcedo : : 217 . stellata s : 77 * Astacophilus : PAU) torquata . i 73 99 Dacelo : ; 217 mvlanops, Carcineutes . : 253 ~ Halcyon : : PANG 3 Dacelo 3 : 253 = Paraleyon . : 217 es Lacedo ; F 253 Lindsay's Kingfisher. : 217 melanoptera, Alcedo_. : 165, 167 lutea, Certhia 2 ; 156 3 Dacelo . ‘ 167 Macleayii, Cyanaleyon . : 207 6 Entomothera - 167 93 Dacelo ; ; 207 melanopterus, Haleyon . . : 167 = Halcyon ; : 204, 207, 208 melanorhyncha, Alcedo . ; 95 Todirhamphus ? 207 . Halcyon . 95 Macleay’ 8 Kingfisher - - 207 i Hylcaon : 95 macrorhina, Dacelo : : 303 = Pelargopsis : 95 is Melidora . : 303 5 Rhamphaleyon . 95 macrorhinus, Dacelo_. : 303 melanura, Ceyx ket 3 117, 125 macrorhynchus, Dacelo . : 303 s3 Dacelo F : 117 macrurus, Turdus : : 156 Melidora : : : aR malimbica, Alcedo ; : 195 Melidora Euphrosie . . 303 53 Cancrophaga : 195 “ euphrosine. a 303 + Halcyon A . 195, 196 - macrorhina . 5 303 Mangrogone . : : 295 meninting, Alcedo my es : 23, 24, 32 Mangrove Kingfisher : : 137 2 Ceyx ‘ s 23, 115 Mankinetrous . ; 295 Meninting : . 23 Many-coloured Ki ingfisher_ ; 167 Meninting-watu . ; 31 Mantled Kingfisher 2 ; 297 Merops viridis , ¥ 156 Margarethe, Tanysiptera . 217 microsoma, Ceyx 5 : 119 margaretta, ‘Tanysiptera 277 minor, Alcedo . 11 Martin -pécheur a collier blane des minor moluccensis, Aleedo : 21 Philippines 229 Molucca Kingfisher. : 21 b> Martin-pécheur a téte grise de Séné al 191 . 11, 14, 21, 22, is Martin-pécheur a neha du Cap bee Mae ee i 113 7 de Bonne Esper ance . 229 Monachaleyon ‘ xviii. . Martin-pécheur a ventre sable , 189 Monachaleyon Gaudichaudi i 295 Martin-pécheur bleu et noir de Senegal 173 iy monachus é 255 Martin-pécheur de la Chine 169 + princeps 4 255 ' Martin-pécheur de la cote de Malabar 161 monachus, Dacelo ; : 255 ; Martin-pécheur de la Nouvelle Guinée 285 me Haleyon ‘ : 255 Martin-pécheur de V isle de Iugon . LT na Monachaleyon : 255 Martin-pécheur de Pondicherry ; 119 monachus, Paraleyon . ‘ 255 Martin-pécheur huppé du Cap de Bon Morty Island Kingfisher . ; 263 Esperance ‘ 5 61 multicolor, Haleyon ; : 167 F Martin-pécheur huppé de Mexique . 73 Myioceyx , , F xiii. be nais, Alcedo », Corythornis », Tanysiptera natalensis, Alcedo Ispidina Natal Kingfisher Nethug New Hebrides Kingfisher . New Zealand Kingfisher . nigricans, Alcedo oo Dacelo Haleyon nitida, Alcedo Corythornis », Ispidina nullitorquis, Dacelo Nu-rea-bin-mo nutans, Alcedo nympha, Alcedo fe Tanysiptera occidentalis, Dacelo occipitalis, Todirhamphus omnicolor, Alcedo Dacelo Halcyon ” ”? ” Opere orientalis, Halcyon Otaherte Kingfisher Otatare Paraleyon cervina Pagurothera chelicuti Pallasii, Alcedo Paralcyon concreta coronata : Pagurothera fuscicapilla Pagurothera variegata . Paralcyon gigas Lindsayi nA monachus pealei, Halcyon Pelargopsis Pelargopsis amauroptera burmanica floresiana Fraseri Gouldi gurial leucocephala malaccensis . melanorhyncha Penang Kingfisher pendula, Acacia Petit Martin-pécheur aigue marin . Petit Martin-pécheur de UIsle de Iugon ; sihattigrenets cristata, Alcedo Ceyx Philippine Kingfisher picta, Alcedo . », Ispidina picturata, Alcedo pictus, Todus Pied Kingfisher pileata, Alcedo Dacelo Entomobia ”? ” INDEX. 145 245 255 223, 225 ix. 97 104, 109 107, 111 103, 104 101 105, 107 99, 101, 104 107 195 119 211 81 35 33 56, 113 113 141, 145 141, 142, 145 146 145, 146 141 61 169 169 169 ix. pileata, Entomothera », Halcyon pileatus, Halcyon platyrostris, Halcyon “ Todirhamphus princeps, Dacelo - a Halcyon * Monachalcyon . pulchella, Dacelo 5 Halcyon 5 Lacedo pulchellus, Carcineutes . pulchra, Aleyone puella, Alecedo purpurea, Alcedo Ceyx pusilla, Alcedo », Alcyone 49) Ce yes pygmeea, Chelicutia 3 Dacelo rn Halcyon pyrrhopygia, Dacelo Haleyon Sauropatis pyrrhopygius, Cyanaleyon Todirhamphus quadribrachys, Alcedo Quatawur Raja Whodan . Rajah Udong . Ramphaleyon amauroptera Es capensis . . gurial 93 javana melanorhyncha Raou Kingfisher : recurvirostris, Coporhamphus i Halcyon . 5: Todirhamphus Red-backed Kingfisher Red-breasted Kingfisher Reichenbachii, Haleyon Respected Kingfisher Riedeli, Tanysiptera . Riedel’s Kingfisher Ringed Kingfisher Rose-cheeked Kingfisher rubescens, Alcedo rubra, Alcedo ” », Ceyx », Dacelo rudis, Alcedo . » Ceryle . », Aspida . Ruddy Kingfisher rufa, Halcyon ruffulus, Dacelo ruficeps, Alcedo Dacelo Haleyon », Ispidina ruficollis, Haleyon ” ”? rufidorsa, Ceyx %y Dacelo PaGE. 169 169, 170 16 247 247 255 255 255 251 251 251 251, 252 41, 45 169 119, 120, 141 119 53, 141 538, 54 53 183 183 183 211 211 211 PNY 211 25, 26 259 4, 16, 26, 61, 63, 64, 65, 162 61 155 155, 156, 157 137 213 213 213 147 165 120, 121, 129, 138 121 INDEX. x PaGE. rufirostris, Alcedo 165 rufiventer, Halcyon 173 rufiventris, Cancrophaga 173 Me Dacelo wal - Haleyon 171 Rufous and Green pete 91 sabrina, Dacelo 263 - Tanysiptera 267 sacer, Coporhamphus 247 ,, Lodirhamphus 223, 249 sacra, Alcedo . 223, 239 », Dacelo. 249 », Halcyon 223, 224, 225, 227, 239, 249, 250 ,, Todirhamphus 249 », var. D, Aleedo 237 » var. €, Alcedo 229 » var. €, Alcedo 237 5, var. y, Alcedo 229 Sacred Kingfisher 223, 239 Sad-coloured ic a 243 Sakaika 91 Salba 295 salussii, Dacelo 291 sancta, "Dacelo 237, 239 », Haleyon », Sauropatis sanctus, Haleyon 207, 212, 239 239 ~— 237, 239 a Todirhamphus . 239 Sanghir Kingfisher 299 Sanghirensis, Cittura 299 at Dacelo 800 Sauromarptis Gaudichaudi 295 pe tyro 297 Sauropatis, australasize . 215 = chloris 229 a elnnamomina 213 55 Grayi 233 - Julice 227 rn pyrrhopy ey 211 A sancta 239 a sordida 233 superciliosa . 223 saurophaga, Haleyon 19% saurophagus, Todirhamphus Lo Saw-billed Kingfisher 151 Schlegeli, Haleyon 5, 6, 155, 156 208, 209, 234, semiceerulea, Alcedo 173 % Cancrophaga 173 rf Haleyon ae het semitorquata, Alcedo 26, 27, 37 Senegal Kingfisher 191 senegalensis, Alcedo 191 #0 Cancrophaga 191 rf Dacelo 191 i Haleyon : 189, 191 ~ var. a., Alcedo - 171 - var. b., Alcedo ‘ 173 7, var. d., Alcedo : 173 i var. mi Alcedo : 171 5 var. g., Alcedo : 171 var. e ; Alcedo : 173 se nogaloides, Canc rophaga : 187 es Halcyon . ‘ 187 Sharpes Kingfisher Sharpei, Ceryle ” eyx : Silvery-backed Kingfisher. smyrnensis, Alcedo Fr Dacelo - Entomobia . - Entomothera oe Halcyon - var. albogularis, Halcyon var. b., Alcedo ‘ Societ) y Island's K ingfisher solitaria, Alcedo é n Alcyone 3 Ceyx Solitary Kingfisher sondaica, Alcedo sordida, Haleyon », Sauropatis sordidus, Todirhamphus An Halcyon Spotted Kingfisher stellata, Ceryle », Chloroceryle » Megaceryle Streptoceryle aleyon + torquata . a stellata St. Jago Kingfisher striata, Dacelo Strickland’s Kingfisher striolata, Aleedo EA Chelicutia wr Dacelo Halcyon S triped Kingfisher subispida, Alcedo Sumatran Kingfisher Sumbo ‘ superciliosa, Amazonis . a Alcedo Ms Ceryle : o Chloroceryle Bs Halcyon Sauropatis . Swainsonii, Halcyon sylvia, Dacelo Tanysiptera Uraleyon ” ? Syma , syma, Dacelo . Syma flavirostris », lessonia », torotoro Tanatich Tanysiptera - “ acis ¥ dea “i doris Ss Ellioti ES Emilize a galatea 5 hydrocharis Bs isis i Margarethzw : - margaretta ° 133, 184 161, 162 161 161 161 4, 15, 16, 63, 161 165 165 245 115 115 115 115 11, 13 233 153 152, 153, 154 151 151, 153, 154 197 xix 275 279, 281 263 el 263, 265, 283 272, 281 273, 275 QT DA if 277 “ INDEX. a nais e nympha . Fr Riedeli ‘ Pr sabrina sylvia Telampuica < Temminck’s Kingfisher . Tengke-buto Tengke-wrang . Therosa solitaria Tiacalla Tinnunculus alaudarius Todier de Juda Todirhamphus Todirhamphus, albicilla . o australasize a chloris . $5 chlorocephalus = cinereifrons a cinnamominus collaris . 4 coronatus 7 diops divinus . funebris lazuli 3 Macleayii ce occipitalis i platyrostris recurvirostris 5 sacer m sacra a sanctus . + saurophagus s: sordidus Ac torotoro 25 tuta a tutus i vagans . is varius 4 venerata os veneratus Ne vitiensis Todus ceeruleus », pictus . torotoro, Dacelo x Halcyon Syma i Todishamphus. torquata, Alcedo Es Ceryle i Halcyon iy Megaceryle 53 Streptoceryle . torquatus, Halcyon tribrachys, Alcedo ches tridactyla, Alcedo ~~ 249 239 197 233 153 223, 249 246, 249, 250 237 219 245 245, 250 223 141 141 153 151, 153 151, 158, 154 153 73, 77 75, 44,76; 77, 80, 84 195 73 73 195 41 41 119 - Ceyx RA var., Alcedo tschelicutensis, Dacelo Turdus macrurus tuta, Alcedo », Halcyon », Todirhamphus tutu, Haleyon tutus, Todirhamphus tyro, Dacelo ,, Sauromarptis Udang é ultramarina, Alcedo undulata, Alcedo undulatus, Dacelo Uraleyon sylvia vagans, Alcedo », Halcyon : », TLodirhamphus . vaillanti, Dacelo : es Halcyon varia, Halcyon variegata, Actenoides 5 Alcedo 5 Haleyon Van Diemen’s ce Kingfisher varia, Ceryle variegata, Pagurothera . varius, Todirhamphus venerata, Alcedo o Halcyon ‘5 Todirhamphus Venerated Kingfisher veneratus, Coporhamphus es Todirhamphus Verreauxii, Alcedo vestita, Alcedo Vincha vintsioides, Alcedo 5 Corythornis . viridirufa, Alcedo “A Ceryle : * Chior tet viridis, Aleedo », Merops vitiensis, Dacelo .; Haleyon ad Todirhamphus Wallacii, Ceyx Wallace’ s Kingfisher White and Green Kingfisher White-backed Kingfisher . White-breasted Kingfisher White-browed Kingfisher . White-collared Kingfisher White-headed Kingfisher . White-throated Kingfisher Wood Kingfisher ; Yungipicus Hardwickit Pace. 119, 120, 121, 122, 125 121 183 156 249 245 223, 249 245 246, 249, 245 245, 250 23, 24 83 33 33 33, 34 91 91 91 89 156 223 223 223 129 129 197 199 161 223 250 ne et. SP be. . vail ‘on ~ = ant — ao ewes SS ees