﻿Dr. Leith Adams relates that he found the present species "inhabiting India and the 

 lower Himalayan ranges. Very plentiful on the streams and lakes of Cashmere, and adding 

 much to the beauty of the far-famed Shalimar gardens and the delightful scenes in that 

 romantic land." The same author also subsequently observes that it is a "common tenant 

 on all the streams and lakes in the Valley of Cashmere." 



Captain Irby, in his paper on the " Birds of Oudh and Kumaon," says that Alcedo 

 benpalensis was not seen nearly so often as Ceryle rudis or Halcyon smyrnensis, and, unlike 

 the latter, preferred running streams. 



For the following observations 1 am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Swinhoe: — 



"In answer to your inquiries respecting the distribution of our 'King of the Shrimps' 

 (- I Icedo bengalensvt), I can only give you a few notes. It is a common bird in the cultivated 

 parts of the country from Canton to Shanghai, living in the neighbourhood of rice-fields. 

 1 have met with it in every part of China, from Hainan to Peking, and westwards as far as 

 Chungking in Szechuen, and I have a large series of specimens from Amoy and a feAv from 

 Canton, Hongkong, and Tingchow, one from Foochow and one from Hankow. They vary 

 a little in size, length of wing and beak ; and as a rule their coloration is uniform, and 

 very similar to that of skins in my collection from India. Formosan specimens, however, 

 I notice after a close examination of a large series, have peculiarities of their own. They 

 are somewhat larger and longer-winged than the continental examples, and have the azure 

 latero- pectoral patch larger and extending downwards a short way along and under the 

 edge of the wings. Males and females both have it, but it is duskier in the latter. None 

 of my continental series quite equals the finest Formosans in length of wing, though one 

 -kin from Amoy, two from Canton, and one from Tingchow, have the fully-extended blue 

 side-patch, and there are several that have it more or less developed. 



" Only one Formosan bird, and that a male from Tamsuy, has the patch small, but in 

 dimensions it agrees with the largest of the other islanders. The following measurements 

 of the wing of a few specimens show the comparative length in birds from different localities: 

 — S , Formosa, wing 2*85 inches ; 2 , 3'0 — <5 , Canton, 2*75 ; p , 2*80 — P , Hongkong, 

 2-7o — c? , Amoy, 2*7o — <$ , Tingchow, 2"88 ; P , 2 - 85. Females are duller coloured, and 

 have the lower mandible red for half of its length and more ; this character being apparent 

 in the nestling. The fledgling has the breast washed with greyish black ; auxiliaries and 

 under parts pale rust colour, deeper on flanks, tibia? and vent. Upper parts dull blackish 

 grey, tinged with green ; head and back of the neck spotted Avith dull greenish blue, the 

 wing-coverts faintly so ; the blue of the lower back and rump also tinged with green, 

 brightening on the upper tail-coverts ; tail as in the adult; throat and under size of the 

 neck buffy white; legs deep purplish brown, reddish on the soles and under surface. The 

 young female is not so bright as the young male, especially about the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts. The Formosan variety shows no special difference in the young stage/' 



" From the " Hainan Gazateer" (Kinny-shan-Heen che) : — 



" Fri-tsuy {Kingfisher). — There are several large and small kinds. The skins of the 

 large kinds {Halcyon smyrnensis and H. pileatm) are paid as tribute to the Emperor. The 

 small kind is called the water 'Tsuy.' There are also the hill 'Tsuy' {Pelayopsis sp.) and 

 the red 'Tsuy' (//. coromandeliana,)." 



Captain Blakiston procured specimens in Northern Japan, and remarks: — 

 " No distinction can be made out between this specimen and others collected in China; 

 but there seems considerable variation in the colour of the bill of this species. It is the 

 only Kingfisher I observed in Jesso, and appears quite to represent that of England in 

 Northern Japan." 



Near Hakodadi, however, it is not so common, according to Mr. Whitely, who writes: — 

 " One specimen (a female) only, obtained at Hakodadi, Sept. 24, 1865, from a native 

 bird-fancier, from whom I learned that it had been caught up a creek near the village of 

 Kamida, a few miles from the town. It is most probably a scarce bird, as this is the only 



