HALCYON. 483 



Length. \v to 10-5 inches ; tail 27 to 2-75 ; wing 4-2 to 4-5 ; tarsus 0*6; 

 bill from gape 2-5. 



ffat>.T\\Q Himalayas, at the base, also in Nepaul and Sikkim ; in the 

 Sunderbuns and along the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal it is common. 

 It occurs in the Andamans, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the 

 Phillipines, Formosa and China ; also in British Burmah. In the latter, 

 according to Gates, it is one of the rarest. Davison found it throughout 

 Tenasserim, but chiefly near the sea. Malew.oon and Pegu are other localities 

 whence it has been procured. 



1118. Halcyon smyrnensiS (Linn.), Sharpe, Mon. Alced. p. 

 161, pi. 59; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 105 ; Dresser, B. Europe v. 

 133, pi.; Blyth) B. Burnt, p. 70; Armstrong, Sir. F. iv. p. 306; Oates, 

 Sir. F. v. p. 143 ; Hume and Dav. Str. F. vi. p. 74 ; Legge, B. Ceylon 

 p. 298; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 85 ; Bingham, Str. F. ix. p. 154; Oates, B. 

 Br. Burm. ii. p. 82 ; Murray, Vert. Zool., Sind, p. no. Alcedo smyrnensis, 

 Linn., Syst. Nat. i. p. 181. Alcedo fuscus, Bodd., Tabl. pi. Enl. p. 54; 

 Halcyon fuscus, Jerd., B. Ind. i. p. 224, No, 129. The WHITE-BREASTED 

 KINGFISHER. 



Whole head, neck, abdomen, under tail and lesser wing coverts rich chest- 

 nut ; scapulars, tertiaries, back, rump and upper tail coverts, also the greater 

 coverts and winglet blue ; the scapulars and tertiaries more dull ; median 

 wing coverts black ; quills blue, broadly tipped with black, with a broad 

 oblique bar of white on the inner webs of the primaries ; chin, throat, neck in 

 front and breast white. Tail blue, the margins of their inner webs dusky 

 brown, except the centre feathers, which are wholly greenish blue. Bill coral 

 red ; feet vermilion red ; eyes brown. 



Length. io'S inches ; wing 4*5 to 475 ; tail 3 ; bill at front 2-25. 



Hal. The Peninsula of India and Ceylon to the base of the Himalayas, 

 extending to the Indo-Burmese countries, Singapore and China. Recorded 

 from the Concans and Deccan, Kutch, Kattiawar, Jodhpore, Sambur, N. 

 Guzerat, Travancore and Nepaul. Breeds all over India nearly, from March to 

 July, laying 47 eggs in a hole excavated by itself in banks of tanks, and 

 canals or streams, also in the interior of wells, or on cliffs overlooking rivers. 

 Eggs spherical ; some are slightly oval. Like those of its congeners, they are 

 pure white. In length they vary from 1*05 to 1*27 inch and in breadth from 

 0*97 to ri2 inch. 



1119. Halcyon pileata (Bodd.), Sharpe, Mon. Alced. p. 169, pi. 

 62 ; Hume, Str. F. iii. p. 51 ; Blyth, B. Burm. p. 70 ; Armstrong, Str. F. 

 iv. p. 306; Legge, B. Ceylon p. 301 ; Hume and Dav., Str. F. vi. p. 74 ; 

 Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 85 ; Bingham, Str. F. viii. p. 193 ; ix. p. 154 ; Oates, 

 Str. F. x, p, 187 ; id., B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 83. Alcedo pileata, Bodd., Tabl. 



