260 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF 



tail, 3'0 ; weight, 6*12 oz. Irides dark brown ; legs fine coral 

 red ; claws horny ; orbits clothed with white down ; bill fine 

 pinkish red, tipped dusky ; testes small. 



Bather common. This species does not hunt over so much 

 ground as C. rudis, but sits on a tree overhanging water, 

 for hours, occasionally darting down on any passing fish. Yery 

 noisy. I have failed to find the nest. A permanent resident. 



128.— Halcyon amauropterus, Pearson. 



19th May 1878, Male.—- Length, 14'60 ; expanse, 20*25 ; 

 wing, 5'50 ; tail from vent, 4'10 ; tarsus, 0*62 ; bill from gape, 

 3 - 66 ; at front, 3*0 ; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 

 2*25 ; weight, 5'37 ozs. Irides dark brown ; orbits clothed with 

 tiny white feathers ; eyelids brick red ; bill crimson ; legs scarlet. 



The only one I saw ; it was sitting on a mangoe tree, which 

 overhung a tank in my compound, and did not take any notice 

 of me when approaching to shoot it. It was in very good 

 condition. This was more than ] 00 miles from the sea, but 

 less than half that distance from the upper portion of the tidal 

 estuary of the Megna. 



129.— Halcyon smyrnensis, tin. 



2nd February 1878, Female. — Length, 11*50; expanse, 16*0 ; 

 wing, 4'92 ; tail from vent, 358 ; tarsus, 0-68 ; bill from 

 gape, 2-66 ; at front, 2'08 ; closed wings fall short of end 

 of tail, 1-75. 



llih April 1878, Male. — Length, 11*0 ; expanse, 16 - ; wing, 

 4*50 ; tail from vent, 308 ; tarsus, - 58 ; bill from gape, 

 2*75 ; at front, 2*18 ; closed wings fall short ©f end of 

 tail, 1*58 ; weight, 2'75 ozs. Irides dark brown ; legs fine red; 

 bill fine red, with the colour paling towards the tip. 



Common and permanent resident; is a very noisy bird, and is 

 found at times far away from water. Very partial to crickets, for 

 which it watches from the trees bordering the different fields. I 

 once found its nest hole in Sylhet high up ou a " teelah" amongst 

 tea bushes, and far away from water, but failed to get its eggs 

 in Furreedpore. 



134.— *Alcedo bengalensis, Gmel. 



Common during June to December, after which I failed to 

 see a single bird, and therefore conclude it must leave the 

 district and go elsewhere to breed. I have repeatedly seen 

 this species, when flushed from its perch, hover in the air like 

 C rudis, but have not seen it do so when taking a fish. They 

 frequent beels, tanks, and creeks, and the wooded banks of rivers. 



