80 ALCEDINID.SJ ALCEDO 



Gurney in Andersson's B. Damaraland, p. 58 (1872) ; Sharpe, ed. 

 Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 107, 806 (1875-84) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1879, p. 291 

 [Rustenburg] ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 244 [Mashonaland] ; Butler, Feilden, 

 <& Reid, Zool. 1882, p. '206 [Newcastle dist.] ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xvii, 

 p. 153 (1892) ; Kendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 167 ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 116 

 (1896) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1897, p. 497 [Eshowe] ; Woodward Bros. Natal 

 B. p. 91 (1899) ; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 249 [Umfuli river]. 



Alcedo quadribrachys, (nee Bp.} Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 245, 1873, p. 258. 



" Blauw Vischvanger " of Dutch. 



Description. Male. Crown and nape dark blue banded with 

 brighter blue ; sides of the head above the ear-coverts a rich bright 

 blue ; mantle, rump and upper tail-coverts cobalt-blue ; scapulars 

 and wings a duller more greenish shade with brighter tips to the 

 coverts ; wing-quills dusky, edged with greenish-blue ; tail-feathers 

 bright blue ; lores black with a yellowish-white spot above, ear- 

 coverts pale fulvous, cheeks greenish-blue ; throat white, rest of the 

 lower surface and under wing- coverts fulvous ; on either side of the 

 breast a blue patch. 



Iris and bill black ; legs and feet bright red. 



Length about 7'0 ; wing 3-20 ; tail 1-4 ; culmen 1-70 ; tarsus 0-4. 



In the female the base of the lower mandible is red ; the young 

 bird is greener in colour and the feathers on the chest are tinged 

 with black forming a slight barring. 



Distribution. This little Kingfisher is found throughout the 

 southern and eastern portions of South Africa from Cape Town to 

 Mashonaland, but does not seem to extend to the high central 

 plateau and drier western portion of our area. Beyond the Zambesi 

 it ranges through Nyasaland and East Africa as far north as 

 Abyssinia. The following are South African localities : Cape 

 Colony Cape, Swellendam, Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Albany, 

 Bathurst, Peddie, Stockenstroom, Cathcart (i.e., Windvogelberg), 

 East London and Pondoland divisions ; Natal near Durban (Brit. 

 Mus.), Newcastle (Keid) and Eshowe in Zululand (Woodward) ; 

 Transvaal Barberton (Eendall), Rustenburg (Ayres) ; Rhodesia 

 Umfuli river (Ayres and Marshall). 



Habits. This bird appears to resemble other Kingfishers in its 

 habits ; it is found along rivers and sometimes on the seashore, 

 where it obtains the small fishes or sometimes crabs which form its 

 diet ; it darts on its prey from a fixed perch and does not hover 

 like the Pied Kingfisher ; it has a shrill but not unpleasant cry. 



