﻿CLASSIFICATION. 



Africa of such a form of Kingfisher has yet to be accounted for, especially when it is 

 remembered that it is coexistent along the bights of the Gold Coast with Pitta angolensis, 

 also an isolated representative of an Indian genus. 



The next subdivision contains two species with beautiful white heads. It is questionable, 

 after the experiences detailed by M. Jules Verreaux in the account of H. semiccernlea in the 

 body of the work, whether H. erythrogastra should be considered any thing more than a 

 large and brightly coloured subspecies of the continental bird. The next section contains 

 nothing but Kingfishers purely of an Ethiopian type, with striped heads and a very distinct 

 crest ; and, lastly, we have apparently the connecting link between the red-billed section of 

 the group and those which have the bill particoloured, black and red. This species is 

 //. senegaloides, which possesses a red bill and yet partakes thoroughly of the style of 

 plumage of Halcyon senegalensis. This last-named species, with H. cyanoleuca, constitute 

 the next subdivision ; along with two other species remarkable for their robust form (H. 

 dryas and //. malimbica), these are the largest Halcyones of the Ethiopian type. 



The third division of the genus contains all the species having dusky black bills with the 

 base of the lower mandible yellowish ; and I still subdivide the Kingfishers it contains accord- 

 ing to the colour of the head. Thus my first section contains only one species, which has the 

 head pure white ; this is H. albicilla ; but it is to be remarked that I have every reason to 

 believe that sacra, which is the representative of this species in Oceania, when very old, 

 assumes a white head, though I have never yet seen one with the head entirely white. 

 Secondly, we have a small subdivision with brilliant blue plumage, forming the genus 

 Cyanalcyon of Bonaparte. I have asked M. Jules Verreaux about this genus, for which 

 Bonaparte quotes him as the authority ; and he assures me that it was never published by him, 

 and he was much surprised to see his name in print ; all he remembers is mentioning in the 

 course of conversation to Prince Bonaparte that these blue Kingfishers formed a section in 

 the genus Halcyon, which might be termed subgenerically Cyanalcyon, and that the Prince 

 made a note of it at the time, which it seems he afterwards published. The Blue King- 

 fishers all possess striking characteristics, the males and females in every species, so far as 

 we yet know, differing conspicuously one from another. They all have brilliant-coloured 

 backs, with the exception of //. leucopygia, which, as its name denotes, has the back white. 

 //. niqrocyanea is one of the largest of the section, and is at once distinguished by its black 

 scapulars. Those which have the scapulars cobalt are three in number, viz. II. lazuli, 

 H. diops, and U. maclcayi. The blue on the breast and abdomen separates the first of 

 these three; and of the last two the females are also not difficult to distinguish, but the 

 males are very similar. All the remaining species of Halcyon have green heads, inclining, 

 according to the species, to more or less of a blue colour : they have been generally classed 

 in the genus Todiramphus ; but, as will be presently seen, the members of this genus are 

 really very distinct in form. One of the most remarkable species of the green group is 

 Halcyon pyrrhopygia, which, by reason of its red back, stands alone from all its congeners. 

 Next we have a group of cinnamon-coloured Halcyones, of which the first two, //. cinnamo- 

 mina and II. australasiw, approach Syma in style of coloration. The first of these two 



