Mr. Layard's ' Birds of South Africa.' 265 



In either case, I think Mr. Layard in error in citing P. minor 

 and P. mitratus as synonyms respectively of P. onoa'otaius and P. 

 rufescens, which latter belongs to a different section of the genus ; 

 and I may add that it appears very doubtful whether P. philip- 

 pensis, which he also quotes as identical with P. rufescens, really 

 is so ; but on this point I would refer to Mr. Blyth's remarks 

 above mentioned. 



98. Halcyon cyanoleuca, Vieill. Angola Kingfisher. 



I am indebted to Mr. R. B. Shai'pe (who, being engaged on a 

 monograph of the Alcedinidce, has paid great attention to the 

 birds of this family) for the correction of an error, which did not 

 reach me in time for notice of it to be taken in its proper place. 

 In my " Seventh additional List of Birds from Natal " I men- 

 tioned a Kingfisher from the Monocusi River under the name of 

 Halcyon senegalensis ; and this species has in consequence been 

 included in Mr. Layard's Catalogue. This bird, on closer exa- 

 mination, proves to belong to the allied but more southern spe- 

 cies H. cyanoleuca of Vieillot (N. Diet. vol. xix. p. 401), the di- 

 stinctive characters of which have been well pointed out by Dr. 

 Hartlaub (Orn. Westafr. p. 31); and to them I would refer my 

 readers in preference to repeating the descriptions he has there 

 supplied. 



In conclusion, I cannot but express the hope that Mr. Layard's 

 volume will give a permanent impetus to the study of South- 

 African ornithology, especially on the spot — a result which na- 

 turalists in this country will, I am persuaded, be anxious to 

 promote, either by reference to specimens preserved in the 

 museums of Great Britain, or by contributing in any other way 

 they may be able towards the identification of South-African 

 species and to the elucidation of their synonymy where it still 

 remains doubtful or obscure. 



■'^:).* [^Additional Notes on Mr. Layard's ' Birds of South Africa.' 



It seems advisable to draw attention to the fact (since 

 Mr. Gurney has not noticed it) that Mr. Layard, though pro- 

 fessedly confining himself to notices of those species which are 



