1876.] on the Expedition into the Dafla Hills, Assam. 69 



117. Meeops yieidis, Lin. 

 *135 a. Alcedo gbaistdis, Blyth. 



A specimen of this very rare and beautiful kingfisher was shot on the 

 Dikrang River, below Pakfi's village, where I saw one or two others. The 

 original specimen was obtained by Mr. Blyth (J. A. S. B. XIV, p. 190) 

 from the base of the Darjeeling Hills, probably in the Teesta valley, well 

 within the hills. Dr. Anderson got another from the same locality ; this 

 specimen is to be fonnd figured in Sharpe's ' Monograph of the Kingfishers,' 

 and is now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. I have compared the Dafla 

 bird with it ; but it is young, with the bill not fully developed, and it is to 

 be regretted that no better example for figuring was then procurable. We 

 failed to find Blyth' s original type, but Mr. Mandelli of Darjeeling has 

 kindly sent me a drawing to scale of the bill of one of his own specimens 

 and it agrees exactly in size with that of my bird. 



136. Ceetle eudis, Lin. 



On all the large streams of the Terai. 

 *137. Ceeyle guttata, Vigors. 



I saw this large kingfisher several times on the Dikrang river, above 

 camp No. 6 ; on one occasion four were together, but they are generally 

 solitary. I never perceived it hovering like G. rudis. Its flight is very 

 rapid. 



An officer of the 42nd Assam Light Infantry shot one, and kindly 

 made me a present of the skin. 



138. Psaeisomtts Dalhotjsi^, Jameson. 



Large scattered flocks moving rapidly through the forest were seen in 

 the Dikrang Dhiin between Harmutti and the Borpani stockade, keeping to 

 the boughs about halfway up the trees. It is curious how exceedingly 

 well defined in these forests are the haunts of many birds. Some, such as 

 species of Minla, Actinwa, Idothrioc, Ixulus, &c, never appear to descend 

 out of the light beneath the thick canopy of leaves in the crown of the trees, 

 but feed about on them and on the orchidaceous growth that thickly clothes 

 the topmost boughs. Others, like the above-named Psarisomus, Irena 

 puella, Criniger flaveolus, &c, keep well in the shade halfway down, while 

 others, and particularly the fly-catchers Ghelidorhynx hypoxantha and Culi- 

 cipeta cinereocapilla, remain exclusively in or about the underwood, scarcely 

 ever mounting above it into the larger trees. 



The culmen in these specimens was not black (as described by Jerdon), 

 but the bill was green above, pale orange below. 



139. Seeilophus eubeopygitjs, Hodgson. 

 142. Hydeocissa albieosteis, Shaw. 



The commonest hornbill here ; another large one with a red head, pro- 

 bably Rhyticeros plicatus, was seen in the Dikrang valley but not shot. 

 10 



