136 ON THE CRESTED KINGFISHERS OF AFRICA, 
white ; lores, cheeks, and the rest of the under-surface of the 
body rich rufous, paler in very old birds ; bill and feet coral red , 
eyes dark brown. Total length 5 inches, of bill from front 1. 3, 
from gape 1.6, wing 2.2, tail 0.2, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.45, 
hind toe 0.2. 
Hab. North Africa (mus. Brit.) Fazoglo (mus. Philad), Az- 
Johannis, Tigré (von Heuglin) Senegal (Buffon), Gold Coast (mus. 
Lugd.), River Camma (Du Chaillu), Loanda (mus. R. B. Sharpe), 
St. Thomas (Weiss, mus, Brem.) Ilha do Principe (Dohrn, Keule- 
mans) Mozambique (mus, Hein. / 
Although the present species has been known ever since the 
time of Buffon, great uncertainty has prevailed up to the present 
date, as to its geographical distribution. Gmelin gives its habi- 
tat as Madagascar, and Lesson as Java, both of which localities 
are erroneous, and itis now known to be confined to the Aithio- 
pian Region. JI have never seen an authentic specimen from 
Abyssinia, although I suppose the two specimens presented by 
Lord Mountnorris to the British Museum from ‘“‘ North Africa,” 
are really from some part of the Abyssinian sub-region, Brehm 
states that it is never found north of 15 deg. n. lat., which asser- 
tion, however, needs a slight modification as von Henglin pro- 
cured two specimens in a swamp at Az-Johannis in Tigré, which — 
is somewhat north of the line indicated by Brehm. As regards 
the existence of Corythornis ceruleocephala in Mozambique, I am 
somewhat sceptical, as no authority is given for the specimen in 
Heine’s Museum. [I hardly think its occurrence there likely, and 
I am by no means positive as to its ever being met with in 
Abyssinia : in all probability the small race of Corythornis cristata 
having been mistaken forit. There ought, however, to be no diffi- 
culty in identifying the present bird, as the difference in the 
length and colouring of the crest is at once perceptible. 
According to the late Mr. Cassin, the Philadelphia Museum 
contains every known species of Corythornis and Ispidina, includ- 
ing Corythornis nais and his Ispidina nitida. What the two birds 
thus designated by Mr. Cassin really are, I cannot imagine, as I 
have examined Kaup’s types in the British Museum and find that 
