A L C E D O seaiitorquata, 

 Half -collared Kingsfisher, 



Generic Character. — See PI. 26. 



Specific Character. 

 A. cceruleo-viridis, infrd, ochracea ; capite cyaneo, lineis nigris trans- 

 versis ornato ; dorso nitide cceruleo ; pectore torque cocruleo- 

 viridi internipto insigni. 



Bluish green, beneath buff colour; head blue, with transverse black 

 lines; back shining hght blue; breast with an interrupted 

 blue-green collar. 



In a small collection of birds, procured on the borders of 

 the Great Fish River of the Cape, I met with this new and 

 elegant Kingsfisher. I was fortunate in detecting in the 

 same parcel several other unknown and interesting birds ; 

 which I hope to record and illustrate in this work, particu- 

 larly as they have since been sent to a foreign museum. 

 This species considerably exceeds the size of tlie Asiatic 

 Kingsfisher, being nearly eight inches and a half long : the 

 bill is black, two inches from the gape, and one and three 

 quarters from the base of the nostrils : head blue, the crown 

 crossed by dusky black lines ; hind head somewhat crested, 

 the sides deep and rich mazarine blue ; ears and sides of the 

 neck greenish blue, the latter having a stripe of white ; the 

 blue on the sides of the neck advances on the breast in the 

 shape of a half-formed collar : wings and scapula covers 

 bluish green, with lighter spots on the tip of each of the 

 wing covers ; down the back is a stripe of vivid light blue, 

 similar to the common Kingsfisher : tail dark -blue, edged 

 with greenish, the base black. The plumage beneath, from 

 the chin to the end of the throat, white ; changing on the 

 breast to pale fawn colour, which deepens to ferruginous on 

 the body, under tail covers, and thighs : legs red : between 

 the bill and eye a dusky white line. 

 PI. 151. 



