1841.] Birds in the Museum of the Asiatic Society. 635 



21. Halcyon Amauropterus. Mihi. Brown winged King-fisher. 



This bird appears to be undescribed, and indeed hitherto unknown. 

 It has been named as above by the Curator ; and the following is its 

 description : — 



Large fawn coloured King-fisher, with brown wings and tail — Length 

 from tip of bill to the end of the tail 14 inches, breadth from tip 

 to tip of the wings 16 inches, length of bill 3^ inches. Bill and feet 

 scarlet. Head, neck, belly and neck fawn coloured or buff, each feather 

 tipped with brown. Wings and tail smoke coloured. Back caerulean 

 blue. Iris dark brown. 



Found near Calcutta. 



22. Halcyon Collaris, — Collared King-fisher. 



From the Chinese collection, 



Alcedo Collaris. Turton's Lin. I. 280. Shaw. Gen. Zool. VIIL 80. 



Collared King -fisher. Latham Gen. Hist. IV. 27. 



Martin- Pecheur a collier hlanc. Diet. Class. D'Hist. Nat. X. 227. 



23. Genus Alcedo. 

 Sp. A. Rudis. — Pied King-fisher. 



Shot by the Curator, and mounted in the Museum. 



Alcedo Rudis. Lin. Syst. Nat. I. 181. Gmelin Lin. I. 454. Turton's 

 Lin. I. 283. Shaw. Gen. Zool. VIIL 63. 



Black and white King-fisher. Latham. Gen. Hist. IV. 15. 



Martin PScheur Pie. Diet. Class. D'Hist. Nat. X. 231. 



" This species is very numerous ; there is not a river, stream or pool 

 without its complement of these birds, where they may be seen con- 

 stantly on the look-out, hovering like this tribe, and anon plunging 

 beneath the water in pursuit of their prey." — C. W. Smith's MS. Notes. 



The Pied King-fisher is not so common in the neighbourhood of Cal- 

 cutta as in Behar and Orissa. At Midnapore it is very common, and 

 forms a striking feature in the picture of nature, as it hovers in the 

 beauty of its glossy black and white, satin-like plumage, over the 

 streams. From a height of 20 or 30 feet it plunges down dead as a 

 stone into the water, and remains below it so long, that the ripple over 

 the surface clears away sometimes before it comes up again. 



The Pied King-fisher is a very beautiful bird ; its plumage being 



smooth, snowy white, and jet black, in patches of irregular size and 



4 L 



