﻿xxii 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



8. Alcedo euryzona. A very rare species, the young and old birds differing conspicuously. 

 Entirely confined to the Indo-Malayan subregion. 



9. Alcedo beryllina. A small species — indeed, the least of the genus. Confined to the 

 southern islands of the Malayan subregion, where its range appears limited to Java and the 

 small islands running to the eastward. 



The subjoined Table will give the best idea of the geographical distribution of the genus 

 Alcedo. There are four groups in this genus, in connexion with which fact some interesting 

 points will be noticed : — 1st, the four species of the Alcedo ispida group, which are distri- 

 buted over nearly the whole of the Old World, but do not extend into the Australian 

 Region proper, where their place is taken by species of Alcyone ; nor do they range into the 

 Ethiopian Region beyond a very narrow limit in North-eastern Africa; 2nd, the species of 

 the Alcedo asiatica group, of which there are two, one confined to the Indo-Malayan 

 subregion, while the other occurs in Africa, no intermediate form being met with in the 

 countries between. Were it not for the fact that M. Jules Verreaux tells me he has shot 

 the African species in Natal, its range would be almost identical with that of Halcyon badia — 

 another Kingfisher, of an Indian group, exclusively confined to a limited portion of Western 

 Africa ; 3rd, the single species Alcedo semitorquata, which is confined to the Ethiopian 

 Region, where it seems to represent Alcedo bengalensis, as its range commences where that of 

 the latter leaves off, and extends throughout the length and breadth of the African continent ; 

 and, 4th, the species of the Alcedo beryllina group, of which there are two, A. euryzona and 

 A. beryllina. Both of these have white bellies with blue bands across the breast ; both are 

 confined to the Indo-Malayan subregion ; both occur in Java, whence their ranges diverge — 

 the one along the Malayan peninsula, the other to the small islands running to the east of 

 J ava, thus extending into the Austro-Malayan subregion. 



Table of the Geographical Distribution of the Genus Alcedo. 





P a lug arctic Region. 



Ethiopian 

 Region. 



Indian Region. 



Australasian Region. 









Asia. 



Indo-Malay 

 Islands. 



Philippines. 



Celebes. 



Timor 

 Group. 



Molueean 

 Group. 



Papuan 

 Islands. 



Nortliern Europe. 



8 

 a. 



z 



E 



w 



e 



h 



a 



| N. Africa. 



§ 



= 



z 



a 

 - 



CVntral Asia. 



1 



7. 



Japan. 



N.-E. Africa. 



8 

 < 







< 



3 



O 

 CO 



East Africa. 



Indian Asia. 



Chinese Asia. 



Malaccca and Singapore. | 



Sumatra. 



Java. 



Bangka. 



Borneo. 



Celebes. 



Sula Islands. 



Lombock. 



CD 



at 

 E 

 O 



E 



Timor. 



Batchian. 



Gilolo. 



p 

 u 

 3 

 O 

 « 



Ceram and Amboina. 



Mysol. 



New Guinea and 

 Salawatty. 



New Ireland. 





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