234 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



137. Ceryle guttata, Vigors. 



Alcedo, apud Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830 — Gould, Cent. Him. 

 Birds, PI. 5— Blyth, Cat. 209— Horsf., Cat. U6—Machi Bagh 

 of the Doon i. «., Fish-tiger — Ung kashijiu, i. e., Water-dog, 

 Lepch. 



The Large Crested Black and White Kingfisher. 



Descr. — The whole head finely crested, the feathers long and 

 narrow ; the whole upper plumage a broad pectoral band, and 

 a streak from the lower mandible down the sides of the neck, passing 

 into the pectoral band, black with white spots and bars ; the sides of 

 the face, below the ears, from base of lower mandible, hind neck, 

 and all the lower parts, white ; the flanks and under tail-coverts, 

 banded with black ; under wing-coverts rusty, and the pectoral 

 band and neck streak are sometimes also tinged with rusty brown. 



Bill black ; irides dark brown ; legs brown-black. 



Length 14 inches ; wing 7^ ; tail 4^, 2^ inches longer than 

 wing ; bill at front 2^. The bill is short, thick, slightly cur- 

 ving towards the tip, deep, and blunt-pointed; the wings are 

 shorter than in rudis ; it is a somewhat different type from that 

 bird, and has been named Megaceryle, by Kaup. 



It has only been found in the Himalayas, frequenting wooded 

 streams and rivers, and living exclusively on fish. It watches 

 from a fixed perch, and darts down generally obliquely on its prey, 

 not hovering, like its congener of the plains. I saw it near 

 Darjecling, up to 5,000 feet of elevation. 



A nearly allied but larger species exists in Japan, C. luguhris, 

 Schl. ; and another in Africa. The remaining species of the genus 

 are American, and by their coloration belong to a distinct group, 

 Streptoceryle., Kaup. 



The BuccoNiD^, or Puff-birds, of America, have a large head ; 

 large, short, but stout bill ; short tail, and dense sombre plumage. 

 Their toes are in pairs. Some are sedentary, and frequent the 

 thickest part of the forest; others take longer flights, which, in 

 Chelidoptera, says Mr. Wallace, " almost vie with those of the 

 Swallows for ease and rapidity." They live on insects, which they 

 capture in the air ; and they lay two white eggs in holes of trees, 



