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ALCEDO SEMITOKQUATA. 



(HALF-COLLARED KINGFISHER.) 



Alcedo semitorquata, Swains. Zool. Illustr. pi. 151 (1823). 



Alcedo azureus, Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 243 (1831). 



A. torque pectorali nulla: abdominc aurantiaco. 

 Hab. in Abyssinia, in Africa occidentali et australi. 



Head and nape deep blue, banded with bright blue, the sides of the head above the 

 ear-coverts being of an exceedingly rich colour; back very rich cobalt; scapularies washed 

 with bright blue ; wing-coverts blue, spotted with cobalt; wing-feathers black, the inner 

 web whitish from the base, the oute rweb broadly edged with blue, especially <>n the 

 secondaries; tail blue above, black beneath; throat and a longitudinal patch of feathers 

 along the sides of the neck white, the latter slightly tinged with orange; a very small loral 

 spot light yellowish; under-surface of the body orange, the upper part of the breast having 

 a large patch of blue feathers on each side, forming a half-collar; bill black; feet red. 

 Total length 7.5 inches, of bill from front 1.8, from gape 2.3, wing 3.2, tail 1.8, tarsus 

 0.25, middle toe 0.5, hind toe 0.25. 



Hab. Abyssinia (Ruppell, Heuglin, Blanford), Senegal (mm. Hein.), Orange River (mus. 

 R. B. Sharpe), Cape Colony (Layard), Caffraria (Brehm, mm. Liigd.), Zambesi River (mus. 

 G. D. Rowley). 



This species is called the ' Half-collared ' Kingfisher, from its having the blue 



Additional References. — Alcedo semitorqvata, Kiipp. Syst. libers, p. 20, t. 7 (1845), Kaup. Fain. Alctd. p. 17 

 (1848), Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I, p. 63 (c. 1844), Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 63 (1848), Bonap. 

 Consp. Gen. Av. I. p. 159 (1850), Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 5, t. ccccxcv, ti». 3054-55 (1*51). Cass. Cat. Hale 

 Phil. Mus. p. 4 (1852), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 3, id. Orn. WestatV. p. 34 (1*57). .Mull. .Kami. t. On.. 1855, 

 p. 8, Heugl. Sitz. Akad. Wien, 1856, p. 271, Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II. p. 143 (1860), Hartl. Journ. I. 

 Orn. 1861, p. 105, Schl. Mus. Pays, Bas. Alced. p. 10 (1863), Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, 332. Layard. Birds ol 

 S. Air. p. 65 (1867). Alcedo azureus, Puch. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1853, p. 385. 



