HALCYONID.E. 



HALCYOXID.E. 



14 



M. Lesson, who established this natural group, states that they lire 

 in the islands of the South Seas. They inhabit the woods, and perch 

 almost constantly on the cocoa-palms (cocotiersV. Their nourishment 

 ia only composed of small flies (moucherons), which they eue when 

 the insect* come to pitch on the spathes charged with the flowers of 

 the palm. The islanders name them O-tatare. They were sacred 

 birds, and it was forbidden to kill them under severe penalties. Their 

 skins were offered to the gnat god Oro. 



T. toftr; Alcedo t*ta, GDI. and Lath. ; Alcedo taera, Gm. and 

 Lath. ; Sacred King's Fi.-hor, Lath. Total length, 8 inches 6 lines ; 

 bill, 21 lines from the commissure to the point; tail, 3 inches. Bill 

 b'.ack, white at the origin of the lower mandible; summit of the head 

 1 with brownish-green feathers, which form a sort of hood 

 (calotte), separated by a large white streak which rises on the front, 

 passes above the eyes, and continues behind the occiput. A Urge 

 black line (trait) springs from the eye, and taking a tinge of green and 

 then of brown, forms a border to the white line and circumscribes it. 

 Throat, breast, and all the upper part of the body pure white ; a very 

 large, whitish, demicoUar, waved (sinuole 1 ) with light brown and very 

 light chestnut, occupies the upper part of the mantle, and is bordered 

 with black; the back, coverts of the wings, rump, upper part of 

 the tail and wings, are uniform bluish-green ; the greater quills 

 are brown and blue on their external border; the other quills (retniges 

 moyeni .-) terminated with brown. Tail brown below. Tarsi black. 

 The wings extend to the upper third of the tail 









Sacred Kiat't-Fuher ( TMirtmfkia MWT). 



M. Lrason, whose description we have elected, snys that the 

 pecies v> very common in the Islands of Otaheite,'or Taheite, 

 and Borabora. It perches on the cocoa-palms, and the natives call it 

 O-tatan 5 . IU flight is short, and it is not timid. It live* on the 

 insect* which the honied exudations of the cocoa-flowers attract. This 

 pecies and Priliacut Takilextii remain constantly on the cocoa-nut 

 trees, which form girdles on the shores of all those islands. 



1 >r. t.atharo remarks that his Sacred King's- Fisher has been found 

 in I 'u-ky Bay, New Zealand, where it is called Ghotare\ 



.Bill entirely straight, long, a little flattened vertically, the 

 mandible* of equal height, smooth on their edges, having each a rounded 



u their middle and the point* equal and blunt : nostrils bawl, 

 oblique, and small. Third quill the longest. Tail very short, the 

 feathers slightly unequal. Tarsi short, delicate, with only three 

 slender toes, of which the two anterior are strongly united, and the 

 Bind toe foe. (Lesion.) 



M. Lwon remark that the genus is founded on the Alcrilo tridac- 

 lyla of Latham, of which the Martin-Pecheur de 1'ile de Lucon of 

 Sonneratis only regarded as a variety. He also notices the Vyr 

 mama, Alttdo anrea of Latham, and the (Vyj-.Vri.in/iii.; (Alcnto fiir* 

 of H.Tsti.-M !). He remarks that C. asvrta was killed on the edge 

 of the harbour of DoreYy, in New Guinea, and that Latham indicates 



k Island, and I.ewin, Port Jackson, as its habitats. The C. 

 Menmtin*/ (Meninting-Watu, or Burung-Biru of the Javanese), which 

 he considers identical with Alcedo Beijalnuit of Edwards, inhabits, 

 he says, the banks of the small streams round the harbour of DoreVy, 

 at New Guinea. 



I >r. Hor*eMd describes the Burung-Biru as by no means uncommon 



i. He observed it chiefly in the interior, in low situations ; 

 but it was aim found in th" maritime districts. Its habit* and 

 manners were those of the European Kingfisher. It darts in short 

 rapid flights along the surface among rivulets and lake*, emitting as it 

 mores shrill sounds in a high key. These sounds are ao strong and 



acute, that when the bird is near they strike the ear in an unpleasant 

 manner. It is not un frequently observed perched on trees on the 

 Mnks of rivulets, and its food consists of small fishes and of aquatic 



nets. ('ZooL Researches in Java.') 



Sonnenit describes his second species of Kingfisher, from the Isle of 

 Lucon, as about one-third less than the Kingfisher of Europe, and as 

 one of the most brilliant of birds. The whole head, the neck behind, 

 the sides of the neck, the back, the rump, and tail, are of a deep lilac ; 

 the wings indigo-blue, approaching to black, but a bright and shining 

 border of blue surrounds each feather; the throat, the neck, the, 

 belly, and the under part of the tail are white ; the bill is very long, 

 of a carmine-red, ' dont la nuance est foible," the feet are red; "that," 

 adds Sonuerat, " which especially characterises it, is that it has but 

 three toes upon each foot, two before and one behind." (' Voyage 4 

 la Nouvelle GuincV) 



-Watn, or Burunir-Biru ;O_> ; Jfn.:>i.'r -?. HorsScli'. 



L* Martin-P^chenr de rile tie I.iioon, Snil aperies (copied from Sonncrat's 

 pUte, which wu apparently taken from an ill-stuffed specimen). 



Mr. Swainson refers to this plate, only under the name of Oryx 

 tridactylti as an example of the genua. 



Alettlo. Bill Try straight, compressed its whole length ; the tip 

 of both mandibles acute, nnd the upper one not inclined, commissure 

 perfectly straight; feet syndnctyle, all the tarsal scales obsolete ; tnil 

 very short; feet with three toes before and one behind, claw* simple ; 

 culmen of the bill sharp, carinated, and simple : inner nnd hindiT 

 toes of equal length. Thespecies inhabit only the Old World. (Sw.l 



A. itfida, Linn. This is the Martin-Pvoheur of the French; nnd 

 also Pescheur, Martinet Pescheur, Tartarin, Artre, and Mounter, 



