﻿CORYTHORNIS VINTSIOIDES. 



(DUSKY-CRESTED KINGFISHER.) 



Alcedo vintsioides, .... Eyd. et Gerv., Rev. et Mag. cle Zool. 1836, p. ?,0, pi. 71. 

 Corythornis vintsioides, . . . Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 12 (1848). 

 Tspida philippensis cristata. . . Briss. Orn. IV, p. 463, pi. xxxvii (1760). 

 Vinchi or Bintsi, of the Natives of Madagascar {Neivton, Pollen). 



C. rostro nigerrimo: supra laete ultramarina : crista fuscescentc-cyanca. 

 Hab. in insula ' Madagascar ' dicta in insulis adjacentibus. 



Crown of the head crested, the feathers being dusky-green, with black shafts and a bar 

 of black near the tip; sides of the head, back of the neck and entire upper-surface bril- 

 liant ultramarine; wing-coverts black, washed and spotted with ultramarine; quills 

 blackish, the inner web bright rufous at the base, the secondaries externally washed with 

 ultramarine ; tail ultramarine above, black beneath ; chin and a longitudinal patch of 

 feathers along the sides of the neck pure white; cheeks and rest of the under-surf'acc 

 of the body bright rufous ; bill black ; feet red. Total length 5.3 inches, of bill from 

 front 1.2, from gape 1.5, wing 2.3, tail 1.0, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.45, hind toe 0.2. 



Hab. Madagascar, and adjacent islands (Neivton, Pollen and Van Dam). 



The first description of this little Kingfisher is to be found in Brisson's ' Ornithologie' 

 (/.<•.) where, however, the habitat is wrongly stated to be the Philippine Islands, but as in 

 addition to the very careful diagnosis given, the bird is said to be called by the natives 

 ' Vintsi,' which is well known to be the native appellation in Madagascar for the present 



Additional References. — Corythornis vintsioides, Gray, Gen. of Birds, app. p. 5 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. 

 Av. I, p. 164 (1850), Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 19, t. cccxci b. fig. 3404-5 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mas. 

 p. 5 (1852), Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854), Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 86, id. Faun. Madag. p. 8] 

 (1861), Roch and Newton, Ibis, 1862, p. 271, Newton, Ibis, 1863, p. 341. Alcedo vintsoides, Schl. Mas. Pays 

 Alced. p. 12; id. P.Z.S. 1866, p. 421 ; Schl. and Poll. Faun. Madag. Ois. p. 59 (1868). 



