462 HALO YON CORA CIAS 



and is always uttered in flight. Unlike Alcedo and Ceryle, it 

 does not feed on fish, but on frogs, toads, lizards, snakes, and 

 locusts, &c. It burrows a tunnel in a bank with an enlarged 

 nest-chamber at the end, and late in April or early in May lays 

 4 to 7 eggs, which are glossy white, round in shape, and average 

 1-13 by 1-03 in size. 



662. BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER. 

 HALCYON PILEATUS 



Halcyon pileatus (Bodd), Tabl. PJ. Enl. p. 41 (1783) ; Sharpe, Monogr. 



Alced. p. 169, pi. 62 ; id. Cat. B. Br. Mus. xvii. p. 229 ; (David and 



Oust.), Ois. Chine, p. 75 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 133 ; 



(Tacz.), F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 193 ; //. <itriq>tlla, (Grael.), Syst. Nat. i. 



p. 453 (1788) ; Gould, B. of Asia, i. pi. 45. 



g ad. (India). Crown, nape, and sides- of the head black ; a broad 

 -white collar passes round the neck, followed by a blackish band ; upper 

 parts generally deep blue, the lower back and rump brighter ; primaries 

 white at the base, black otherwise, the outer webs lilac and blue ; tail deep 

 blue on the upper, and black on the under surface ; a few feathers below the 

 eye, chin, throat, and middle of the breast white ; rest of the under parts 

 with the sides of the throat and breast rich rufous buff ; bill deep red ; 

 legs dark red ; iris dark brown. Culmen 2'45, wing 5, tail 3'3, tarsus 

 0'6 inch. Sexes alike. The young birds have black spots on the sides of 

 the throat, and the breast-feathers dark-margined. 



Hob. Southern India, rare in Ceylon ; Lido-Malayan countries 

 and islands south to Celebes ; Siam, Cambodia, China, and Corea. 



Inhabits brackish creeks and mango swamps chiefly on 

 or near the salt water, but is occasionally seen on fresh water 

 streams. Extremely shy and wary it is not easy to procure 

 specimens. Its note is said to be a shrill discordant cry, and 

 has been likened to that of Dendrocopus major. It feeds 

 chiefly on crabs, but also on fish. Respecting its nesting habits 

 I find nothing on record. 



CORACIAS, Linn., 1766. 



663. ROLLER. 

 CORACIAS GARRULUS. 



<Coracias garrulus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 159 (1766) ; Naum. ii. p. 1(58, 

 Taf. 60 ; Hewitson i. p. 253, pi. Ixiv. tig. 3 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. 

 pi. 60 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 11 ; Newton, ii. p. 428 ; Dresser, v. 

 p. 141, pi. 293 ; id. Monogr. Corac. p. 19, pi. vii. ; Sharpe, Cat. B 

 Br. Mus. xvii. p. 15 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 106 ; Saun- 

 ders, p. 281 ; Lilford, ii. p. 17, pi. 8. 



