HALCYONIN^. 227 



3rd, — Calialcyon. 



In this group the bill is wide, less compressed at the tip ; the 

 groove is smaller, and the sides of the bill are slightly rounded ; 

 the gonys has a slight curve upwards for its whole length. 



131. Halcyon Coromandelianus, Scopoli. 



Alcedo, apud Scopoli — Hoesf., Cat. 156 — H. Coromander, 

 Blyth, Cat. 203— H. Schlegelii, Bonap. — H. lilacina, Sw. — H. 

 calipyga, HoDGS. — Sankyen pallang-pho, Lepch. 



The Ruddy Kingfisher. 



Descr. — Above rufous, overlaid with beautiful shining peach- 

 lilac, except on the forehead, face, top of the head, and quills ; a 

 narrow band on the middle of the lower back, and the rump, white, 

 tinged with shining pale blue ; beneath, the chin whitish, the rest 

 of the lower parts ferruginous. Bill and legs red ; irides brown. 



Length 10^ inches ; wing 4^ ; tail 2f , 1^ inch longer than 

 wings ; bill at front 2. 



This lovely-colored Kingfisher is found along the foot of the 

 Himalayas, in Nepal and Sikim; also in the Sunderbuns, and along 

 the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal. I much doubt if it has 

 been found in the South of India, albeit named, from the Coro- 

 mandel coast. I obtained one specimen from the banks of the 

 Teesta river in Sikim ; and Mr. Blyth has seen it en route from 

 Calcutta to Burdwan, 



Other Eastern species of Halcyon are H. cyaniventris, V., 

 from Java ; H. concreta T., from Sumatra ; H. pulchella, Horsf., 

 from Southern Tenasserim, Malacca, and the islands ; and there 

 are two or three others from the more distant islands, H. concreta 

 should perhaps rank in Todiramphus, and pulchella, by its hooked 

 bill, is almost a Dacelo, Several species are peculiar to Africa. 



Gen. Todiramphus, Lesson. 



Bill shorter than in Halcyon, wider ; the lateral groove almost 

 obsolete, the gonys distinctly curving upwards ; the wings leng- 

 thened, the 1st quill proportionally longer, and the 2nd nearly equal 

 to the 3rd ; the inner toe very short, almost wholly syndactyle. 



