PELARGOPSIS. 129 



1042. Pelargopsis leucocephala. The Nicobar Stork-billed 

 Kingfisher. 



Alcedo leucocephala, Gm. Syst. Nat. i, p. 456 (1788). 



Pelargopsis leucocephala, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 64 ; id. Mon. Ale. 



p. 99, pi. 31. 



Pelargopsis fraseri, Ball, S. F. \, p. 57 ; nee Sharpe. 

 Pelargopsis intermedia, Hume, S. F. ii, p. 166 (1874); id. Cat. 



no. 127 ter; Sharpe, S, F. ii, p. 489; id. Cat. B\ M. xvii, p. 99. 



Coloration. "Whole head, neck, and lower parts, including wing- 

 lining, deep ochreous (brownish yellow) ; the crown spotted irregu- 

 larly with brown from some of the feathers having dark brown 

 centres, but there is no distinct cap ; upper back, scapulars, wings 

 above, longer upper tail-coverts, and tail above deep blue, slightly 

 greenish on the upper back, scapulars, and wing-coverts ; primaries, 

 except the outer webs near the base, inner webs of secondaries, 

 and lower surface of quills and tail-feathers dark brown ; middle 

 of back, rump, and anterior upper tail-coverts bright pale cobalt- 

 blue. 



Bill coral-red, dusky towards the tip ; irides deep brown ; orbital 

 skin and feet bright orange-vermilion (Davison). 



Length about 15 ; tail 4 ; wing 6 ; tarsus -65 ; bill from gape 

 3-75. 



Distribution. Borneo and the Nicobar Islands. Specimens from 

 the latter were distinguished by Hume under the name P. inter- 

 media on account of being deeper in colour, especially on the back, 

 and wanting the whitish throat. I find, however, that fine Bornean 

 skins are not distinguishable. 



Habits, fyc. A salt-water form, occasionally seen on the sea-shore, 

 and haunting tidal creeks like P. amauroptera. Nidification 

 unknown. 



1043. Pelargopsis gurial. The Brown-headed Stork-billed 

 Kingfisher. 



Halcyon capensis, Jerdon, Madr. Jour. L. S. xi, p. 231 ; Layard, 



A. M. N. H. (2) xii, p. 171 ; nee L. 



Halcyon gurial, Pearson, J. A. S. B. x, p. 632 (1841) ; Blyth, Cat. 



p. 47 ; id. Ibis, 1865, p. 30 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. 2, 



p. 95. 

 Halcyon bruniceps, Jerdon, Madr. Jour. L. S. xiii, pt. 2, p. 143 



(1845). 

 Halcyon leucocephalus, Horsf. fy M. Cat. p. 123 (partim) ; Jerdon, 



B. I. i, p. 222 ; McMaster, J. A. S. B. xl, pt. 2, p. 108 ; nee Gm. 

 Halcyon capensis, Walden, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 553 ; nee L. 

 Pelargopsis gurial, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 66 ; id. Mon. Ale. p. 105, 



pi. 34 ; Ball, S. F. ii, p. 386 ; vii, p. 203 ; Fairb. S. F. iv, p. 254 ; 

 v, p. 394 ; Hume, S. F. v, p. 18 ; xi, p. 44 ; id. Cat, no. 127 ; 

 Oripps, S. F. vii, p. 259 ; Lcgge, Birds Ceyl. p. 295 ; Vidal, S. F. 

 ix, p. 49 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 21 ; David? on, ibid. p. 296 ; Davison, 

 ibid. p. 351 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 98 ; Littledale, Jour. Bom. 

 VOL. III. K 



