BLACK-AND-WHITE KINGFISHER. 167 



from carpal joint to tip of wing five inches 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 bicinta, 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 Reminiscences, ("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." 



