710 ]\Ir. W. L. Schitcr on Binh collected 



■vvooded and shady streams, hut is never actually found in 

 forest. The flight is fast and straight, and the bird flies close 

 to the surface of the water, except when passing from one 

 water to another, when it keeps well up over the tops of the 

 trees. This species, like most Kingfishers, fishes from some 

 projecting stump or branch, and is often seen resting in the 

 middle of large trees. The cry is very loud and somewhat 

 harsh, and is generally uttered when the bird is on the wing. 

 I took a nest on Sept. 9th, 1905, at the Klein Letaba ; it 

 was in the sandy bank of a large dry donga cut into the 

 bank of the Klein Letaba Kiver. The hole ran in about 

 five feet, with a slight upward tendency, having a large 

 cavity at the end in which I found three eggs deposited on 

 the earth without any dehris. Both the old birds were 

 secured, the female being shot on a tree close by, while the 

 male was caught sitting on the eggs. 



The soft parts of an adult are : — Irides dark brown ; bill 

 black ; legs and toes brown.] 



414. Alcedo semitorquata. 



CC. Knysna, June (1); Z. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); 

 P. Masambeti, Nov. (2). 



[Ouly in the Knysna, the Ngoye Hills in Zululand, and 

 at INIasanibeti near Beira liave I observed this species ; it was 

 never plentiful. It frequents well-wooded and shady rivers 

 and streams, and I have never seen it on open lagoons or 

 lakes. It is very shy and retiring in habits, making off at 

 the first alarm, and has usually to be shot on the wing. It 

 fishes from an overhanging bough or thick reed, and the cry 

 is a single shrill note, generally uttered on the wing. It 

 breeds in the banks of the rivers and streams, but I have 

 never succeeded in securing the eggs. 



The soft parts of an adult are : — Irides hazel; bill black; 

 legs and toes tomato-red.] 



415. CORYTHORNIS CYANOSTIGMA. 



CC. Pletteuberg Bay, Mch. (I) ; Z. Umfolosi Station, 

 Sept. (2) ; Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); Tv. Woodbush, June (I); 

 P. Masambeti, Nov. (4) ; Beira, Feb. (2). 



