98 



halcyonida:. 



GENUS L.— HALCYON, Swainson. CRAB-EATER. 



Rostrum longissimum, rec- 

 tum, validum ; mandibula 

 superior rectissima, In- 

 tegra, ad basin rotundata ; 

 inferior carinata, recur- 

 vata, margine superioris 

 inferiorum obtegente. 



Nares basales, membrana 

 tecta, apertura nuda, li- 

 neari-obliqua. 



Digitus anticus interior mi- 

 nimus. 



Beak very long, straight, 

 stout ; the upper man- 

 dible very strong, entire, 

 rounded at the base ; the 

 lower carinated, recurved, 

 its margins covered by 

 those of the upper. 



Nostrils basal, covered by 

 a membrane, the aperture 

 naked, linear-oblique. 



Interior fore toe small. 



The species of this genus are chiefly confined to 

 the southern hemisphere of the old world. I have 

 followed Mr. Swainson in giving the English name 

 Crab-eater to them, as the typical species is known 

 to subsist on those animals. 



Sp. 1 . Ha. Sacer. — Alcedo sacra. Shaw, v. viii. p. 78. — New Hol- 

 land and the islands in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. 



Sp. 2. Ha. collaris. Swain. Zool. Illust. pi. 27.— Alcedo collaris. 



Shaw, v. viii. p. 80. — Philippine Islands. 

 Sp. 3. Ha. cinnamominus. Svoain. Zool. Illust. pi. 67. 

 Ha. cceruleo-viridis, pileo, collo, plumibusque totis subtus pallide 



cinnamominis ; auribus viridibus ; nucha torque nigro gracili 



ornata. 

 Blue-green Crab-eater with the upper part of the head, neck, and 



all beneath pale cinnamon-colour j ears green ; round the nape 



a slender black collar. 



Inhabits New Zealand. " Length ten inches : 



