﻿Although the present species has been known ever since the time of Buffon, great 

 uncertainty has prevailed up to the present date, as to its geographical distribution. 

 Gmelin gives its habitat as Madagascar, and Lesson as Java, both of which localities are 

 erroneous, and it is now known to be confined to the ^Ethiopian Region. I have never seen 

 an authentic specimen from Abyssinia, although I suppose the two specimens presented 

 by Lord Mountnorris to the British Museum from "North Africa," are really from some 

 part of the Abyssinian sub-region. Brehm states that it is never found north of 15° n. lat., 

 which assertion, however, needs a slight modification, as von Heuglin procured two speci- 

 mens in a swamp at Az- Johannis in Tigre, which is somewhat north of the line indicated 

 by Brehm. As regards the existence of Coiythornis cozruleocephala in Mozambique, I am 

 somewhat sceptical, as no authority is given for the specimen in Heine's Museum. I hardly 

 think its occurrence there likely, and I am by no means positive as to its being met with 

 in Abyssinia, in all probability the small race of Corythornis cristata having been mis- 

 taken for it. There ought, however, to be no difficulty in identifying the present bird, 

 as the difference in the length and colouring of the crest is at once perceptible. 



According to the late Mr. Cassin, the Philadelphia Museum contains every known 

 species of Corythornis and Ispidina, including Kaup's Corythornis nais and his Ispidina nitida. 

 What the two birds thus designated by Mr. Cassin really are, I cannot imagine, as I have 

 examined Kaup's types in the British Museum and find that Corythornis nais is nothing 

 more than the young of C. coeruleocephala, and /. nitida is the young of /. natalensis, 

 as will be seen in the account of that species. I beg leave to draw the attention of the 

 authorities of the Philadelphia Academy to this interesting question. 



Dr. Dohrn (I.e.) informs us that in Prince's Island the Corythornis cozruleocephala is 

 " common on the shore ; in a few instances I saw single specimens flying about in the interior 

 of the island. The colour of the young bird is little different from that of old specimens ; the 

 bill is black, and the white spots on the throat and on the sides of the neck are very small. 

 This species is as lively as Halcyon dryas is indolent. The native name is " Pica-peixe." 



I am indebted to Mr. Keulemans for the following note on the habits of this hitherto 

 little-known Kingfisher, as observed by him during his residence in the Princes' Island. 



" Corythornis cceruleocephala is a common bird near the sea-shore, and in the large river 

 near the town of St. Antonio. It is very different in its habits from Halcyon dryas, being 

 altogether a much more lively bird. Its food consists of fishes and water -insects. It breeds 

 between the months of August and January. The eggs are five in number, white, almost 

 round, and very glossy. They are deposited in holes or in clefts of rock, but I do not know 

 if they make any nest. When not disturbed this little Kingfisher becomes very tame, and is 

 particularly fond of frequenting the places where the native women are engaged in washing 

 clothes. I suspect that the water being thus disturbed causes the aquatic insects to come to 

 the surface, when they are eagerly pounced upon by the bird, which may be seen plunging 

 into the water every minute. The natives call it "Pica-peixe" which signifies fish catcher." 



The description and measurements are taken from a very fine male bird in my collection 

 from Loanda. The largest figure in the plate is a copy of a painting made by Mr. Keule- 

 mans in Prince's Island from a recently killed specimen, while the smaller figure represents 

 the type-specimen of Kaup's Corythornis nais in the British Museum, which will, I think, be 

 recognised at once as only the young of C. cceruleocephala. 



