ALCEDINIDJ3. 13 



Below, from chin to tail uniform white. 



Wings above, blue with green reflections, the blue being most 

 decided towards the quill feathers which are black externally edged 

 with blue ; below, white ; the quills dusky black. 



Tail, above, blue with green reflections ; below, dusky black. 

 Bill, black above, light brownish yellow below- 

 Total length, 9| inches. 

 Length of bill, from gape, 2 inches 2 lines. 



„ of bill, from front, 1 inch 10 lines. 



„ of wings, full 4 inches. 



„ of tail, 2^ inches. 



„ of tarsus, ^ an inch. 



„ of middle toe, 1 inch. 



„ of hallux, I an inch. 



This is a common bird ; it frequently perches upon high 

 trees, and is usually met with near the sea-shore. 



Halcyon lilacina (Bon. Consp. Ay.). 



General colour rufous; above, with brilliant purple violet metallic 

 reflections ; rump, light blue ; bill, red. 

 Length, 10 inches. 



„ of bill, from gape, 2 inches 4 lines. 



„ of bill, from front, 2 inches 2 lines. 

 Width of bill, at gape, 11 lines. 

 Length of wings, 4 inches. 



„ of tarsus, 7 lines. 



„ of middle toe, 1 inch 1 line. 



„ of hallux, 7 lines. 



The habits of the Labuan Kingfishers appear to be much 

 alike ; they feed almost entirely at sea, and although many 

 of the brooks abound with small fish they are very seldom to 

 be seen far from the beach. A person walking along the shore 

 at high water may often see them dart out of the jungle and 

 dash into the water, seize their prey, and carry it off again 

 among the trees. They never perch on stones or bare branches 

 over the water, like the European species. 



Genus Ceyx. 

 Ceyx tridactyla (Strickland, Proc. Z. S. for 1846, p. 99). 



Above, from the beak to the tail, rufous red, with brilliant violet 

 blue reflections on the tail-covers, lower back, and head; close above 

 the beak on the forehead is a small dark spot of this colour ; above 

 the eyes, and extending round the hind head, the violet reflections 



