BLACK-AND-WHITE KINGFISHER. 1()7 
from carpal joint to tip of wing fivm incb.es and a half; tail two 
inches and a half; beak two inches and a half; tarsus one third 
of an inch; middle toe and claw one inch. 
This bird is only an accidental visitor to the 
European shores. It has been observed in Turkey, 
Greece, Italy, and Spain; generally near the coast, 
on the European borders of the Mediterranean. In 
Africa it is most plentiful at the Cape and in Egypt. 
Swainson considered the Senegal species as distinct, 
and described it in his ‘^Birds of Africa” under the 
name of Ispida hicmta, the Double-collared Kingfisher. 
It is found rarely, and only accidentally, in Algeria. 
One specimen only was seen by Mr. Tristram near 
Jordan, in Southern Palestine. It is stated by Mr. 
Taylor, in his Egyptian Beminiscences, (“Ibis,” vol. i, 
p. 47,) to be abundant all the way from Alexandria to 
the First Cataract. In Asia we find it occurring in 
Turkey, Persia, India, and China. 
In its habits it resembles the other Kingfishers. Mr. 
Taylor (Op. cit.) says it is very tame and familiar in 
Egypt. “The food seems to be entirely fish. I have 
often watched it hovering over a shallow pool of water, 
and every now and then darting down and catching 
fishes, sometimes as much as three or four inches in 
length. This bird breeds in holes in the banks of the 
Nile.” 
In the colony of Natal Mr. Gurney (“Ibis,” vol. i, 
p. 245,) informs us, that “it frequents the lakes and 
rivers near the coast; not found in the interior. This 
bird hovers over the water before darting down, and 
if not successful flies on further, and hovers again; 
having caught a fish, it flies to a bough or post to 
swallow it.” 
