HALCYON. 319 
281. HALCYON COROMANDUS (Latham). 
RUDDY KINGFISHER, 
Alcedo coromanda LATHAM, Ind. Orn. (1790), 1, 252. 
Halcyon coromandus SHaRPE, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 217; 
Hand-List (1900), 2, 56; Oates and Riep, Cat. Birds’ Eggs (1903), 
3, 37; McGrecor and WorcrsTER, Hand-List (1906), 54. 
Sa-luc-sac, Calayan. 
Batan (Edmonds) ; Calayan (McGregor) ; Camiguin N. (McGregor) ; Guimaras 
(Steere Exp.); Luzon (Steere Exp., Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester) ; Masbate 
(Bourns & Worcester) ; Mindanao (Hverett, Celestino) ; Mindoro (McGregor) ; 
Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester, White); Sibuyan (Bourns & Wor- 
cester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Sangi and Liu Kiu Islands, Indo- 
Chinese countries, Malay Peninsula, eastern Himalayas, China, Japan, Korea, 
Formosa, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes. 
Adult male.—Above, including wings and tail, dark rufous, heavily 
washed with violet; on lower back, rump, and tail-coverts a narrow stripe 
of silvery white, slightly washed with blue; below dark cinnamon-buff, 
chin whitish; throat, breast, and under tail-coverts washed with violet. 
Bill, legs, and nails bright coral-red; iris brown. Length of a specimen 
from Camiguin, 250; wing, 116; tail, 72; culmen from base, 57; 
tarsus, 15. 
Female.—Much less violet wash on upper parts and very little or none 
on lower parts. Length of a specimen from Calayan, 270; wing, 119; 
tail, 74; culmen from base, 55; tarsus, 15. 
Young.—Lower parts lighter, chin more extensively whitish, violet 
wash less, and feathers of throat and breast edged with blackish brown 
forming numerous small crescents. 
“Probably ranges throughout the Philippines, but is as yet noted from 
but few of the islands. It is sometimes found in deep woods away from 
water, but more commonly along the banks of wooded streams and in 
mangrove swamps. It is usually shy and hard to shoot, but in Sibuyan 
two individuals of this species took up their abode in the bamboos in 
our back yard, apparently attracted by the flesh of land shells thrown out 
as we cleaned our specimens. In several islands where we met with this 
species we obtained but a single specimen. 
“Bill, legs, and feet scarlet; nails bright red or orange-red; iris very 
dark brown. Food crabs, in four cases. Seven males measured, 258 in 
length; wing, 111; tail, 63; culmen, 58; tarsus, 15; middle toe with 
claw, 25. Four females: Length, 253; wing, 109; tail, 64; culmen, 56; 
tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 25.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 
