244 Mr. V. G. L. van Soineren on Birds 



Halcyon chelicuti. 



S 1-4. 1. V. 12 ; 23. vi. 06 ; 19. ii. 09 ; 22. x. 10. 



This is a common species, and is foimd in the dry acacia- 

 country. It feeds largely on grasshoppers and beetles, 

 and is frequently seen in the neighbourhood of cattle. 

 It nests in holes in trees. Nests were found in June and 

 July, also in January and February. 



Localities. Buziranjuvo, Sesse Islands, Kyetema, and 

 Buddu, in Uganda. 



Halcyon leucocephalus. (Plate VI.) 



Halcyon semicceruleus (Forsk.) ; Heichenow, Vog. Afr. ii. 

 p. 276. 



S . 20. vi. 12. 



Imm. 1-2. 10. vi. 12 ; 20. vi. 12. 



? 1-2. 22. vi. 12 ; 20. vii. 12. 



The Brown-beliied Kingfisher was found most frequently 

 at great distances from water. One pair, which had their 

 nest in a bank close to the lake-shore, fed entirely on grass- 

 hoppers, which they captured in the vicinity of the nest or 

 farther inland. 



A pair frequently came to my garden at Nairobi, also at 

 Nakuru. All the nests that I have found have been in 

 banks of earth, none in holes in trees. The eggs are pure 

 white with a glossy surface. Young nestlings in the quill 

 and feather stage are very dark brownish grey on the 

 crown ; the nape is sandy, and the back and wing-coverts, 

 as far as grown, are dull black. The tips of the secondaries 

 and primaries, which are showing, are deep blue. The 

 rump and tail are a dirty blue ; the chin is white ; the 

 throat, and the rest of the under-surface, is sandy, inclining 

 to pale brown on the flanks and under tail-coverts ; these 

 surfaces, with the exception of the under tail-coverts, are 

 lightly barred with black. A young bird, a fortnight older 

 and just out of the nest, has the head paler grey with a 

 slight brownish Avash; the forehead and lores sandy; the 

 ear-coverts and cheeks sandy barred with black ; the mantle 

 and wing-coverts dull black, and the blue of the primaries. 



