278 Mr. R. B. Sharpc on the Kingfishers of South Africa. 



Now from the before- mentioned proof-sheet of Drs. Hartlaub 

 and Finsch, I find that their conclusions are the same as my own, 

 namely, that although the South-African birds are larger than 

 those from Western Africa and Abyssinia, still there are no 

 points to justify a specific difference. Mr. Strickland separated 

 the Damara-land bird solely on account of its larger size; but 

 the phimage does not differ from that of specimens from West or 

 South-east Africa. I should mention that Abyssinian specimens, 

 H. chelicuti (Stanley), seem always to be fulvous-yellow beneath, 

 and the stripes on the breast more distinct, though smaller. I 

 had always considered the marks on the breast to indicate im- 

 maturity ; but I have examined a considerable number of speci- 

 mens from Abyssinia and North-eastern Africa, and they have 

 all been in the above-mentioned state of plumage. It is reason- 

 able to suppose that some at least of these birds were adult, so 

 that I think it probable that the examination of a series of 

 specimens from this locality would tend to prove their specific 

 distinctness from their more southern representatives. If this 

 should prove to be the case, the name H. chelicutensis which 

 Drs. Hartlaub and Finsch propose as an improved reading for 

 H. chelicuti, should be retained for the North-east African 

 species. The West- African bird may be called either H. striolata, 

 (liicht.) or H. variegata (Vieill.), both of these names having 

 been published in 1823 ; and I prefer employing that given 

 by Lichtenstein, as the striped plumage is peculiar to the small 

 section of the genus Halcyon including the present species along 

 with H. albiventris (Scop.) and H. orientalis, Peters. H. dama- 

 7-ensis should only be considered a larger race of H. striolata. 



