Descriptive List of the Common Birds 



black, and white. The chin is whitish or 

 cream-coloured, and the lower parts are rusty 

 red. The bill is black ; the feet are coral-red. 



Its habit is to perch on a bough overhanging 

 the water, or on the river bank itself, and 

 thence to dive obliquely into the water after 

 its quarry. Its flight is low, straight, and very 

 rapid ; when in motion it continually utters 

 a peculiar whistling scream. Its neck is very 

 short, and as it sits waiting for its quarry it 

 keeps raising and lowering its head in the most 

 comical manner. (Illus. B. D., p. 102; also 

 B. P., p. 144.) 



120. Halcyon smyrnensis : The White - 

 breasted Kingfisher. (F. 1044), (J. 129), (III.) 



This beautiful bird must be familiar to 

 every Anglo-Indian. 



The head and nape are rich chocolate brown, 

 as is the abdomen. The back, tail, and wings 

 are bright blue. During flight the wings dis- 

 play a very conspicuous white band. The 

 chin, throat, and breast are white. The bill 

 is dark red, and the feet bright red. It is 

 impossible to mistake this bird ; a rapidly 

 flying, bright blue bird, with white wing bars, 

 which emits a loud scream, is without doubt 

 this species. 



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