224 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



128. Halcyon amauropterus, Peakson. 



J. A. S., X, 635— Blyth, Cat. 1824— HoRsr., Cat. 152. 

 The Brown-winged Kingfisher. 



Descr. — Whole head, neck, and lower parts, deep ochreous-fawn 

 or buff, tbe feathers tipped brownish : wings and tail, sides of back, 

 and sides of the upper tail-coverts, dusky hair-brown, with a slight 

 gloss of green ; whole middle of back, and of the rump, and the 

 upper tail-coverts, in part, bright pale cserulean-blue. 



Bill deep crimson ; legs scarlet ; irides brown. 



Length 14 inches; extent 16 ; wing 5;^; tail 3^, exceeding the 

 wing by 2^ inches ; bill at front 2| ; tarsus not f . 



This is a handsomely colored species ; the beautiful pale 

 sky-blue contrasting so effectively with the brown and sober tints of 

 the rest of the plumage. It is only found within our limits, in 

 Bengal, being not rare about Calcutta, though more common in the 

 Sunderbuns, where I have frequently seen it; and it is more abun- 

 dant still to the East, in Arrakan and Tenasserim. It does not appear 

 to ascend rivers, in Bengal, far beyond the reach of the tide. It is 

 a noisy species, and has a very loud, harsh, and grating cry. It 

 feeds chiefly on fishes, making a violent plunge into the water. 



2nd. — Cancrophaga. 



In this division, the bill is wide at the base ; the culmen not 

 flattened, and the gonys is inclined upwards nearly from the base. 

 Some of the birds of this group feed a good deal on insects and 

 crabs ; others are more piscivorous. 



129. Halcyon fuscus, Bodd. 



Alcedo fusca, Boddaert — PI. Enl. 849 — H. Smyrnensis, 

 Sykes, Cat. 32 — Jerdon, Cat. 254 — Blyth, Cat. 201 — Horsf., 

 Cat. 155- — Kilkila, Hind. — Sade-buk match-ranga, Beng. — Lak 

 muka, also Buche-gadu, Tel.; FzcAwZi, Tam. 



The White-breasted Kingfisher. 



Descr. — Head, face, sides of neck and body, abdomen, and 

 under tail-coverts, deep rich brown-chesnut; scapulars and 



