﻿ALCEDO QUADBIBKACHYS. 



(DARK-BLUE KINGSFISHER.) 



Alcedo quadrihrachys Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 158 (1850). 



A. torque pectorali nulla : abdomine intense rufo : major : rostro longiori : pileo obscure cyaneo 

 fasciato. 



Hah. in Africa occidentali et in prov. Natalensi Africa? Australis. 



Head, neck, cheeks and scapulars rich, ultramarine ; the whole of the back and upper 

 tail-coverts rich cobalt ; a small spot in front of the eye and a longitudinal patch of feathers 

 along the sides of the neck white tinged with rufous ; wing-coverts blackish washed with 



mm* 7 o 



ultramarine, quills blackish, the inner web pale fulvous at the base, the outer web edged 

 with blue ; tail blackish margined with blue ; throat white ; rest of the under surface of 

 the body deep rufous ; a patch of feathers on each side of the upper part of the breast rich 

 ultramarine; bill black; feet red; eye black. Total length 6'5 inches, of bill from front 

 1*6, from gape 2'1, wing 2*9, tail 1*3, tarsus 0'3, middle toe - 3, hind toe 0'35. 



Hah. Senegal (Swains, mus. Cantahr.), River Gambia (mus. B. B. SharpeY Dabocrom 

 (Pel), Cameroons (mus. R. B. Sharpe), Gaboon (Verreaux), Comma River (Du Chaillu), 

 Buffalo River, Natal (Jules Verreaux). 



The name quadrihrachys was applied to the present species by the late Prince Bonaparte 

 (from a MS. name of Temminck's in the Leiden Museum), to distinguish it apparently 

 from the three-toed Australian Kingfisher, Alcyone azurea, to which it bears at first sight a 

 certain resemblance. But its nearest ally is the Malayan Alcedo asiatica, to which it closely 

 assimilates. The sexes, however, are alike in the present species, as far as I know, and it 

 may further be distinguished by its larger size. The blue bars on the head are also not so 

 distinct as in its Malayan congener. 



MM. Jules and Edward Verreaux in their valuable papers on the Ornithology of 

 Gaboon (I.e.) have given a very excellent diagnosis of this beautiful Kingfisher. They 



Additional references.— Akcdo quadrihrachys, Verr. Eov. et Mag. do Zool. 1851, p. 207; Reich. Ilandb. 

 Alced. p. 5 (1851); Striekl. Contr. to Om. 1851, p. 134, pi. lxxix ; Cass. Cat. Hale, l'hil. Mus. p. 2 (1852); 

 Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Havtl. Journ. t Orn. 1854, p. 3; Miill. Journ. f. Orn. IS.,.., p. 8; 

 Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 300 ct Orn. Westafr. p. 34 (1857) ; Sold. Hamll. dcr Piork. pi. iv. lig. 13 (lM.,,) ; 

 Jard. Mem. of Striekl. p. 331 (1858); Cass. Proc. rhil. Acad. 1859, p. 34; Gurney, Ibis. 18.)'.), p. 2 1..; 

 Heine, Journ. f. Orn. 1800, p. 187 ; Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1801, p. 105 ; Du Cliaillu, Eq. Afr. p. 4/2 (1801) ; 

 Scbd. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 9 (1 803) ; Layard, B. of S. Afr. p. 00 (1807) ; Sliarpo, Ibis 1809, p. 283 ; Cray, 

 Handl. of B. p. 95 (1869). 



