on Dr. Jcrdon's 'Birds of India* 347 



rapidly, in large circles, with quick strokes of the wing, like the 

 flight of Woodpeckers, and frequently swooping down upon one 

 another with loud chattering. When perched, their note is a 

 single full deep-toned whistle, or something between that and 

 the sound "you,^^ when uttered with forcible expulsion of the 

 breath." Mr. Gould gives some further particulars of the habits 

 of this genus (Handb. B. Austral, i. p. 120). 



127. Halcyon leucocephalus. 



I have already noticed (Ibis, 1865, p. 30) the existence of 

 five geographical races of this bird. Dr. Cabanis (Mus. Hein. 

 ii. p. 156) adopts the name H. gurial, Pearson, for the Indian 

 race, and H.javana (Bodd.) for the Malacca race; though the 

 Javan bird differs from that of the Malayan Peninsula, having 

 a pale brownish cap not well defined, whereas the Malaccan bird 

 has a well-defined dark bi'own cap, which is slightly glossed with 

 bright colouring. Professor Schlegel, however, states that a Ni- 

 palese example is absolutely similar to specimens from Java ! 

 One from Timor resembled the ordinary Malayan Peninsula race. 

 Captain Beavan writes to me that that the Andaman race " has 

 the head much whiter than in Bengal," in which case it should 

 be identical with the Burmese race. I have observed no varia- 

 tion in specimens from India and Ceylon. 



128. Halcyon amauropterus. 



Prof. Schlegel places this bird as a variety of the last ! No 

 two species can be more dissimilar in voice, as long ago remarked 

 by myself, and duly noticed by Dr. Jerdon. 



129. Halcyon fuscus (Bodd.) ; Gould, B. As. pt. xiii. pi. 

 With Strickland (Ann. Mag.N.H.ix.p.442) and Dr. Jerdon (in 



his "List of Errata ") I doubt the propriety of separating this bird 

 from the H. smyiniensis (L.) of Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Persia, 

 and Arabia as I would separate the two preceding species ; but at 

 most would regard it as a slight geographical variety analogous to 

 those of i/. leucocephalus. Mr. Gould remarks — " The only differ- 

 ences which I am able to detect between it and the Smyrna bird 

 are a slight variation in size and in brilliancy of colouring, the 

 Indian being somewhat smaller and more intense and beautiful 

 in colour." Such is the Malayan Peninsula race of H. leuco- 



