of Hongkong, Macao, and Canton. 31 



found everywhere, and soon commenced building-operations. It 

 is the only and prevailing species. This bird has only one small 

 cgecum. 



15. EuRYSTOMUs ORiENTALis (Linn.). Cantonese, "Z/eifA-X:o- 

 tsoeyJ" 



I had the pleasure of meeting a pair of these birds at VVham- 

 poa (the anchorage of Canton). While wandering under a group 

 of lofty pines, I saw a bird sitting on a branch with head and 

 body erect, while the tail and abdomen, from the shortness of 

 its legs, seemed to lie along the branch. The red bill and bril- 

 liant green and blue plumage soon showed me what it was, as it 

 flitted with quick and smooth flight into the open. It was pre- 

 sently joined by its mate, and they kept flying about, now rest- 

 ing on a thick bough, now again on the wing, circling round 

 the clump of trees. They uttered occasionally a note not un- 

 like the " quack " of our Goatsucker, which bird it also often 

 resembled in flight, and in its habit of sitting for the most part 

 along a branch instead of across it. They were rather shy of 

 approach ; so I had to take them on the wing, and was fortunate 

 enough to secure the pair. 



The male was larger than the female, and perhaps a little 

 more brilliant in tints. The gizzard was oval, 1^ in. long, Ig 

 broad, and 1 thick, slightly muscular, lined with a flesh-yellow 

 moveable cuticle much wrinkled with rugse, and containing 

 insects — chiefly beetles and large bugs. Intestines somewhat 

 fleshy, 19 in. long, and varying in thickness from | to ^ in. 

 Caeca 1^ in, from anus; left 2|, right 1 in. in length, both 

 bulging into black sacs at the apical third of their length. 



16. Halcyon smyrnensis (Linn.). Turquoise Kingfisher. 

 Cantonese, " Fe-tsoey." 



Common. 



17. Alcedo bengalensis, Gmel. Cantonese, " Tow-gu- 

 long." 



Common. 



18. Ceryle RUDis (Linn.). C&ntonese, " Pun-tin-teo." 

 Common. 



