ALCEDO. 125 



Habits, Sfc. Very similar to those of A. isptda, except that this 

 is purely a forest species, being restricted to woodland streams. 

 The eggs, 4 to 6 in number, were taken from the usual nest- 

 holes by Mr. Gates in Pegu in the month of July ; they were 

 glossy white and round, and measured about '78 by -69. 



1037. Alcedo meninting. The Malayan Kingfisher. 



Alcedo meninting, Horsf. Tr. Linn, Soc. xiii, p. 172 (1821) ; Blyt/t, 



Cat p. 49 ; Horsf. ^ M. Cat. p. 130 ; Hume ^ Dav. S. F. 



vi, p. 83 ; Hume, Cat. no. 135 ter; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xvii, 



p. 1-57. 

 Alcedo asiatica, Swains. Zool. III. 1st ser. i, pi. 50 (1821) ; Sharpe, 



Mon. Ale. p. 23, pi. 5. 



Coloration. Precisely similar to that of A. beavani, except that 

 the blue of the upper parts is deeper, the spots on the wing- 

 coverts especially being comparatively inconspicuous ; and the 

 middle of the back is deep cobalt. Measurements as in A. 

 beavani. 



I am disposed to agree with Gates and to regard A. beavani as 

 merely a bright-coloured variety. Hume was inclined to the same 

 view, and the chstribution of the two is anomalous if they are 

 distinct ; but when a series of both is laid out, there is a percep- 

 tible difference between them. 



Distribution. Malay Peninsida, extending into the extreme 

 south of Tenasserim, also in Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. 



1038, Alcedo grandis. Blyth's Kingfisher. 



Alcedo grandis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xiv, p. 190 (1845) ; id. Cat. 

 p. 49 ; id. Ibis, 1865, p. 30, 1866, p. 348; Sharpe, Mon. Alc.-p. 19, 

 pi. 3 ; Jerdon, Ibis, 1872, p. 4 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xlv, pt. 2, 

 p. 69 ; xlvii, pt. 2, p. 14 ; Hume, Cat. no. 135 ; id. S. F. xi, p. 47 ; 

 Gates in Hume's N. ^ F. 2nd ed. iii, p. 4 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. 

 xvii, p. 156. 



Alcedo euryzona, apud Blyth, Cat., Addenda, p. xxviii ; Jerdon, B. I. 

 1, p. 231 ; nee Temm. 



The Great Indian Kingfisher, Jerdon. 



Coloration. Whole cap and nape black, with small bluish-white 

 transverse bars ; a ferruginous spot on the black lores ; a pale 

 patch in front of the eye, another behind and below it ; cheeks 

 and ear-coverts blackish, spotted and streaked with bright greenish 

 blue ; a white longitudinal stripe on each side of the neck ; 

 middle of back and rump bright pale blue, becoming deeper blue 

 on the vipper tail- coverts ; scapulars and wings dull green outside, 

 with some bright bluish-white specks on the coverts ; quills 

 brown, some of the secondaries with greenish-blue edges ; tail 

 deep blue above, dark brown below ; lower parts deep ferruginous, 

 whitish on throat and chin. Sexes, so far as is known, alike. 



Bill black, red at the base of the lower mandible ; feet red 

 {Jerdon). 



