ALCEDO. 123 



blue, each of the lesser and median coverts tipped with a bright 

 blue spot ; quills brown, edged outside with greenish blue ; tail blue 

 above, brown beneath ; lower parts deep ferruginous, sometimes 

 paler, always whitish or white on chin and throat. Some birds 

 are a greener blue than others. Young birds are duller in colour 

 and have the lower parts tinged with ashy. 



Bill black ; basal half of lower mandible in females red or orange ; 

 iris dusky brown ; feet coral-red (Sharpe}. 



Length about 7; tail 1-4; wing 2'75 to 3-1 ; tarsus '37; bill 

 from gape H). 



Fig. 35. Head of A. ispida, |. 



In accordance with the latest views of Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, 

 who has made a special study of Kingfishers, I have united the 

 Indian Kingfisher with the European and Central Asiatic bird. 

 The former has long been distinguished as A. bengalensis, on 

 account of its small size ; but unquestionably the two pass into 

 each other, and the difference in size is probably due to a very 

 common peculiarity that tropical races (or perhaps southern races) 

 in Asia are smaller than those of temperate regions. 



Distribution. Throughout Europe and Asia, extending to the 

 Malay Archipelago. In the British Indian area, this bird is only 

 wanting in the Himalayas, where it is rarely met with far above 

 the base of the mountains, though it abounds in Kashmir. It is 

 of course most common in well-watered countries and comparatively 

 rare in forest-tracts. The smaller race A. bengalensis occurs 

 throughout South-eastern Asia ; the larger, typical A. ispida only 

 occurs within Indian limits in Sind and Baluchistan, but inter- 

 mediate forms are common. 



Habits, <$fc. The Common Kingfisher frequents streams of all 

 sizes, marshes, tanks, irrigation-channels, road-side ditches, flooded 

 paddy-fields, and even the sea-shore, anywhere, in fact, where small 

 fish may be found, and perches on a tree or stump, and very often 

 on a reed, or any post of vantage overlooking the water ; from its 

 perch it plunges after its prey. It lives mainly on fish, occasionally 

 on tadpoles or water-insects, but it is rarely, if ever, seen away 

 from water. Very often these little Kingfishers are in pairs and 

 they are exceedingly pugnacious, each pair driving away all others 

 of the same species. It has a peculiar whistling cry or call, 

 frequently uttered. Its flight is very swift and straight, generally 

 just above the surface of the water. It breeds in India from 

 January to June, earlier in the South of India than in the North, 



