CBYX. 1 27 



Genus CEYX, Lacepede, 1801. 



Bill intermediate in form between Alcedo and Ilalq/on, less com- 

 pressed than in the former, not grooved ; culm en straight and 

 slio-htly flattened. Only three toes, the inner or second wanting. 

 Tail very short and rounded. Plumage very bright, red often 

 predominating. 



This is a genus of IS species, ranging almost throughout the 

 Oriental region and to the Papuan Islands. One species is 

 Indian. 



1040. Ceyx tridactyla. The Indian Three-toed Kinr/JIsher. 



Alcedo tridactyla, Pallas, Spic. Zool. \\, p. 10, pi. ii, fig-. 1 (1769). 



Alcedo erithaca et purpurea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i, p. 449 (1788). 



Ceyx tridactyla, Jerdon, III. Lid. Orn. pi. 25 ; id. B. I. i, p. 229 ; 

 Horsf. S^- M. Cat. p. 391 ; Layard, A. M. N. H. (2) xii, p. 172 ; 

 Sharpe, Man. Ale. p. 119, pi. 40; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 17-3; iii, 

 p. 51 ; iv, p. 287 ; v, p. 19 ; xi, p. 45 ; id. Cat. no. 133 ; Btitler, 

 S. F. ii, p. 455 ; v, p. 503 ; ix, p. 383 ; Walden, Ibis, 1874, p. 137 ; 

 £lyth ^- Wald. Birds Burm. p. 71 ; Hume ^- Bav. S. F. vi, pp. 80, 

 499; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xlvii, pt. 2, p. 14; Leyc/e, Birds 

 Ceyl. p. 303 ; Binyham, S. F. viii, p. 193 ; ix, p. 155 ; Parker, S. F. 

 ix, p. 478; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 80; Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. 

 (2) iv, p. 587 ; vii, p. 433 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 101 ; Oates in 

 Hume's N. S^- E. 2ud ed. iii, p. 13 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xvii, 

 p. 174. 



Ceyx microsoma, Bwton, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 89. 

 Ceyx erythaca, Blyth, Cat. p. 50. 

 The Three-toed Purple Khiyfisher, Jerdon ; .Dein-nyyeen, Arrakan ; 

 Punchi Mal-joelilmdiiwu, Cing. 



Coloration. A spot, pointed behind, at base of forehead black, 

 washed with purple ; crown, nape, hind neck, lower back, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts orange-red, with a ruddy violet gloss, espe- 

 cially over the eye and ou the rump and upper tail-coverts ; a 

 black spot before the eye ; lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, and lower 

 parts from the throat orange-yellow ; chin and throat white ; a 

 deep blue spot behind the ear-coverts bordered behind by white ; 

 scapulars and interscapulary region deep purplish blue ; wing dark 

 brown outside, coverts tinged with deep blue ; edge of wing and 

 smallest coverts, under wing-coverts, outer edge of first primary, 

 and inner borders of all quills rufous ; tail orange-red. 



Bill and feet bright vermUion-red ; irides brown (Davison). In 

 the young the bill is paler and shorter. 



Length about 5*5; tail 1; wing 2-2; tarsus -3; bill from 

 gape 1'55. 



Distribution. Ceylon, rare ; Caruatic and west coast of Southern 

 India according to Jerdon, but very rare ; also some of the Sahyadri 

 forests near Bombay. I find no other localities recorded in the 

 Indian Peninsula, but Jerdon says this species is scattered, 

 though far from common, over all India. To the eastward this 

 Kingfisher is found in Lower Bengal, the SLkhim and Bhutiin 



