198 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



mandible reddish; the rictus coral-red; the feet coral-red; the toes 

 with the basal half light orange, the rest horn. 



The adult differs from the common kingfisher in having the ear 

 coverts deep blue ; the scapulars black ; the dark blue portions of the 

 plumage deeper in shade, the light blue more brilliant; the under- 

 pays of a more intense ferruginous. The immature has the ear 

 coverts deep ferruginous but is otherwise similar to the adult. 



I have not seen topotypical coltarti but feel certain that these birds 

 are correctly placed. From an example of rufigastra (Andaman 

 Islands) they differ only in having the bars of the nape deep purplish 

 blue, the spots of the upper wing coverts smaller and more numerous. 



CEYX ERITHACUS ERITHACUS (Linnaeus) 



Indian Three-toed Kingfisher 



[Alcedo] erithaca Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 115 (Bengal). 

 Ceyx tridactylus, Gyldenstolpe, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam, 1915, p. 231 (listed= 



Den Chai, fide Williamson, ibid., 1917, p. 333). 

 Ceyx tridactyla, Gyldenstolpe, Kungl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1916, p. 115 



("Northern Siam") ; Ibis, 1920, p. 588 ("Throughout Siam"). 



The lovely three-toed kingfisher is uncommon and local in the low- 

 land evergreen forest of the provinces east of the Khun Tan range. 

 In Stockholm is a female, taken by Eisenhofer at Pha Hing, April 30, 

 1912 ; this is probably the bird listed by Gyldenstolpe in 1915. I have 

 specimens from Ban Thap Man, Ban Huai Som, Ban Huai Ki, Muang 

 Fang, and Ban Don Chai (in French Laos, just north of Nan Prov- 

 ince), and have seen a pair between Ban Nong Lorn and Muang Phan, 

 at the head of the Mae Wang basin. 



On clear jungle brooks and rivulets, densely shaded by palms and 

 tree ferns, this brilliant and diminutive species is at home. It takes 

 up residence at some tiny pool, where it conceals itself in the over- 

 hanging vegetation ; when alarmed it darts from bush to bush before 

 one along the stream until, reaching the boundary of its selected 

 territory, it suddenly turns off among the trees to circle back to its 

 original perch. 



An immature example was taken at Muang Fang, July 5, 1936. 



The adult has a spot or streak at the center of the forehead black 

 glossed with deep blue ; a white streak behind the ear coverts, bordered 

 above by a streak of deep blue ; the upper back and scapulars deep blue ; 

 the wings black glossed with deep blue; the remaining upperparts 

 orange-rufous glossed, especially on the tail coverts, with violet; the 

 underparts yellow, albescent on the chin and throat, elsewhere, espe- 

 cially on the breast and under tail coverts and under wing coverts, 

 suffused with orange. The immature differs chiefly in having indis- 



