﻿CLASSIFICATION. 



iii 



C. lugubris, C. maxima, C. sharpei, Alcyone pusilla, Corythornis cristata, C. cceruleocepli'/hi. 

 Ispidina natalensis, Tanysiptera sylvia. Plates were given of all, except C. lugubris, of 

 which a figure was not deemed necessary. 



Paet VII., January 1st, 1870, contained descriptions and figures of Ceryle torquata, 

 Alcedo grandis, Alcyone pulchra, Halcyon cyanoventris, H. albiventris, II. senegalensis, II. 

 malimbica, Dacelo leachi. 



Part VIII., April 1st, 1870, contained figures and descriptions of Pelargopsis amauroptera, 

 P. leucocephala, P. gouldi, P. burmanica, P. floresiana, Ceyx sharpii, Dacelo cervina, I), 

 occidentalis. 



Part IX., July 1st, 1870, contained figures and descriptions of Pelargopsis melanorhyncha, 

 Alcedo euryzona, A. bengalensis, H. coromanda, H. gularis, II. erythrog aster, H. lazuli, 

 Tanysiptera hydrocharis. 



Parts X. & XL, October 1st, 1870, contained figures and descriptions of Alcedo moluc- 

 censis, A. asiatica, Alcyone azurea, Ceryle americana, Ceyx dillwynni, Halcyon smyrnensis, 

 H. diops, H. macleayi, H. nigro-cyanea, H. concreta, H. pyrrhopygia, H. sordida, H. cinna- 

 momina, Monachalcyon monachus, Tanysiptera margaretlim, Dacelo gigas. 



Part XII., November 1st, 1870, contained descriptions of Alcyone diemensis, Ceryle stel- 

 lata, Pelargopsis gurial, Halcyon semiccerulea, H. chloris, II. sancta, H. forsteni, Todirhamphus 

 recurvirostris, Tanysiptera doris, T. acis. Of all of these, figures were given, except of 

 Alcyone diemensis and Ceryle stellata. 



Part XIII., December 1st, 1870, contained descriptions and figures of Alcedo ispida, 

 A. quadribrachys, Halcyon chelicutensis, H. australasice, H. funebris, H. sacra, Todirhamphus 

 veneratus, T. tutus. 



Parts XIV. & XV., January 1st, 1871. These parts contain descriptions of Ceryle rudis, 

 Alcyone ajffinis, A. lessoni, Pelargopsis fraseri, P. malaccensis, Ispidina lecontei, Halcyon 

 lindsayi, II. hombroni, H. albicilla, H. vagans, H. julice, II. leucopygia, Tanysiptera nais, 

 T. galatea, T. sabince, T. emilice, T. ellioti, T. riedeli, all of which are figured except Pelarg- 

 opsis malaccensis. This concluding number also contains the chapter on Anatomy, Intro- 

 duction, Titlepage, &c. 



CLASSIFICATION. 



The Kingfishers form a very natural family of the great Picarian order, and are alike 

 remarkable for their brilliant coloration and for the variety of curious and aberrant forms 

 which are included among their number. The general characteristics of the family cannot. 

 I think, be better stated than in the words of Mr. A. II. Wallace, who, in his admirable 

 essay on "a Natural Arrangement of Birds" (Ann. Nat. Hist. 185G, vol. xviii. p. 193), thus 

 speaks of the Fissirostres, to which artificial group the Kingfishers belong : — 



"The external characters which distinguish these birds arc, very short and weak legs, 

 long, or at all events powerful wings, and a wide gape. Their characteristic habit is to sit 



a 2 



