1841.] Birds in the Museum of the Asiatic Society. 633 



16. Halcyon Smyrnensis, Smyrna Kingfisher. 

 From the Chinese collection. 



17. Another specimen presented and mounted by M. Bouchez. 



18. Another specimen, shot by the Curator, and mounted in the 

 Museum. 



Alcedo Smyrnensis, Lin. Hist. Nat. I. 181. Gmelin. Lin. L 459. 

 Turton's Lin. I. 282. Shaw's Gen. Zool. VIIL 68. Latham's Gen. 

 Hist. IV. 18. Griffiths' Cuvier, VIL 410. 



Martin Pecheur bleu et roux. Diet. Class. D'Hist. Nat. X. 227. 



Halcyon Smyrnensis. Stephens' Shaw's Gen. Zool. XIII. 99, 



" This bird is common throughout India, it is likewise possessed of 

 great power, and I recollect a similar feat of courage* displayed by it, 

 which in fact I made the subject of an oil painting. It has a sharp 

 bustling note like the generality of the tribe when taking wing ; pur- 

 sues its finny prey below the surface, and is altogether a brisk lively 

 bird."— C. W, Smith's MS. Notes. 



The Smyrna King-fisher has been observed by the Curator in Ben- 

 gal, Behar and Orissa ; it is very common at Garden Reach, and in- 

 deed in all the neighbourhood of Calcutta. 



19. Halcyon GuriaL The Gurial King-fisher. Presented by Mr. J. 

 T. Pearson. 



20. Another specimen, shot by the Curator, and mounted in the 

 Museum. 



Alcedo Gurial. Latham. Gen. Hist. IV. 12. 



" This bird is not very common, but is more frequently met with in 

 Bengal than in the other Provinces. It is very strong and powerful, 

 as an instance of which I once observed a contest between one of them 

 and a Hawk of considerable size, in which the Hawk was worsted, and 

 obliged to leave his hold from the effects of a severe blow which the 

 other administered to him on the breast. When wounded, consider- 

 able caution is required in handling, for a single blow would disable a 

 person's hand." — C. W. Smith's MS. Notes. 



As the published descriptions of the Gurial King-fisher are meagre, 

 the following is here inserted. It was drawn up immediately after 

 the death of the only specimen the Curator met with at Midnapore, 

 during a four years' residence there. It is common near Calcutta. 



* See Note to No. 20. 



