﻿OEEYLE MAXIMA. 



(GREAT AFRICAN KINGFISHER.) 



Alcedo maxima 

 Ceryle maxima . 

 Megaceryle maxima 

 Ichthynomus maximus 

 Ispida gigantea 

 Megaceryle gigantea 

 Ceryle gigantea . 

 Alcedo guttata 

 Alcedo afra . 



Pall. Spic. Zool. fasc. IV, p. 14 (1769). 



Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 82 (c. 1844). 



Keich. Handb. Alced. p. 22, t. ccccxix, fig. 3101-2 (1852) 



Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 150 (1860). 



Swains. Classif. of Birds, II, p. 336 (1837). 



Keicb. Handb. Alced. p. 23, t. ccccix, fig. 3103, t. ccccxviii, fig. 3486 (1851). 

 Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 5. 

 Bodd. Tabl. des PL Enl. p. 42 (1783). 

 Shaw, Gen. Zool. VIII, p. 55 (1812). 



Chidolde and Machengiuen of the natives of the Zambesi Kegion (Kirk). 



C. sexibus dissimilibus : dorso schistaceo-nigro albo maculato : subalaribus et subcaudalibus albis, fasciis 

 ninfris variegatis : abdomine medio albo : hypochondriis fasciis schistaceo-nigris irregulariter notatis. 



Hah. in tota regione vEthiopica. 



Adult male. Above slaty-black, darker on the head, which is crested ; most of the crest 

 feathers with good- sized white spots upon both webs, towards the nape some of the feathers 

 in very old birds unspotted ; back and scapularies clearer slaty-grey, a few shaft- stripes very 

 plainly developed, and all the feathers spotted with white of which spots about five shew, 

 two on each side and one on the apex of the feather ; the lower part of the back and upper tail- 

 Coverts slaty-grey largely spotted with white, some of the spots being more longitudinal 

 bars; the lesser wing-coverts slaty-grey with a heart-shaped spot of black in the centre of 

 the feather; the rest of the wing-coverts black, edged with slaty -grey and conspicuously 

 spotted with white ; quills blackish, the inner web white at the base and broadly barred 

 with white, the outer web especially of the secondaries broadly edged with slaty-grey and 

 spotted with white; tail dark slaty -grey, lighter underneath, spotted and banded with 

 white ; a small spot in front of the eye, throat and a line of feathers from the base of the 



Additional references.— Alcedo maxima, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 455 (1788), Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 246 (1790). 

 Bon. et Vieill. Enc. Meth. p. 282 (1823), Hupp. Neue Wirb. p. 69 (1826), Less. Traite de Orn p. 242 (1831). 

 Ceryle maxima, Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p, 61 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. lbO (18o0), Cass Cat 

 Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 2 (1852), Hartl. Beitr. Orn. Westafr. p. 18 (1852), Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. b7 (lb.-)4) llartl. 

 Journ. f, Orn. 1854, p. 4, et 1855, p. 360, Mull. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 9, Heugl. Sitz. Akad. >\ i«v 1856, p. 

 276, 

 Ibis, 

 1864, 



P- 



Ams gl p. 1071854)™^ P- ™> pf. 11 (1837). Ceryle gigm* a, 1 1 UtL 



Orn. Westafr. p. 38 (1857), Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1862, p. 288. 



