ALCEDINIM. 101 



GENUS, Ceyx, Lacepede. , , , , 



Bill, as in Halcyon, large, wide, barely grooved'; -goriy'tf i-ncline'd 

 upwards; culmen flattish ; tail very short , feet with cr.ly three 

 toes, two in front, one behind, the inner-toe being> absent* ".' '. " " 



Ceyx tridactylus, Pallas. 



183. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 229 ; Butler, Deccan, 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 383. 



v THE THREE-TOED PURPLE KINGFISHER. 



Length, 5 to 5'5 ; expanse, 8 ; wing, 2'25 ; tail, 075 ; bill at 

 front, 1'25. 



Bill fine coral-red ; irides brown ; legs and feet red, 



Head rufous, with a lilac gloss, a violet spot behind the ear, 

 and a white patch below that ; a small dark blue patch at the 

 base of the bill ; interscapulars and wings deep blue, the quills 

 black ; back dark blue, with some lustrous blue streaks ; lower 

 back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, rich rufous, with a lilac shine 

 on the middle; cheeks and lower parts ferruginous, paler on 

 lower belly ; chin and throat white. 



The Three-toed Purple Kingfisher was observed by Major 

 Butler at Khandalla, and has been recorded from other parts of 

 the Deccan, but it is very rare, and only occurs along the banks of 

 the mountain streams that issue from the more densely- wooded 

 parts of the Sahyadri range. 



SUB-FAMILY, Alcedininse. 



Bill longer, more slender and compressed, acute, grooved near 

 the culmen for the greater part of its length ; gonys nearly 

 straight. 



GENUS, Alcedo, Lin. 



Bill long, slender, straight, compressed, tip acute ; culmen 

 sharp, carinated, not inclined ; commissure straight, second and 

 third quills sub-equal, third slightly the longest, first very little 

 shorter ; tail very short, even ; feet weak ; inner-toe very short, 

 equal to the hind-toe, both lateral toes syndactyle. 



Alcedo bengalensis, Gm. 



134. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 230 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 



Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 



IX, p. 383 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. Ill ; 



Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 61. 

 THE COMMON INDIAN KINGFISHER. 



Length, 6 to 6'5 ; expanse, 9'5 to 10 ; wing, 275 to 2*9 ; tail, 

 11 to 1*3 ; tarsus, 0*4 ; bill from gape, 1*9 ; bill at front, 1'4. 



Bill blackish on culmen, orange beneath towards base ; irides 

 dark brown ; legs and feet orange-red. 



