﻿CERYLE SHARPIE 



(SHARPE'S KINGFISHER.) 



Ceryle Skarpii Gould, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1869, p. 271. 



C. sexibus dissimilibus : dorso schistaceo nigro, immaculato : subalaribus, subcaudalibus ct abdomine toto 

 schistaceis, albo transfasciatis. 



Hab. in prov. Gabonensi Africa? occidentalis. 



Head, cheeks and ear-coverts dark slaty-grey, almost black, on a few feathers of the 

 crest a very tiny white spot ; back and scapularies dark slaty-grey unspotted, a few of the 

 latter having a tmy white spot at the tip of the feather ; lower part of back slaty-grey with 

 tiny spots of white ; wing- coverts dark slaty -grey, the lesser wing-coverts being marked 

 with a heart-shaped spot; tail blackish grey, with small white bars and markings ; primaries 

 blackish, the inner web white at the base, and having a few bands of white along the web, 

 the primaries with a deep black gloss, the secondaries washed externally with slaty- grey 

 and studded with small spots of white ; a line of white feathers marked with longitudinal 

 black spots, extends from the base of the lower mandible on to the sides of the neck ; 

 below this a line of black feathers from the base of the lower mandible border the throat, 

 which is pure white ; upper part of the breast rich chestnut ; lower part of the breast, entire 

 abdomen, sides of the body and under wing- and tail-coverts grey, thickly banded with 

 white; bill black; feet olive-brown. Total length 14.5 inches, bill from front 3.0, from 

 gape 4.0, wing 7.3, tail 4.2, tarsus 0.35, middle toe 0.9, hind toe 0.3. 



Hab. Gaboon {mus. J. Gould). 



This fine African Kingfisher, with which Mr. Gould has done me the honour to asso- 

 ciate my name, differs from the well known C. maxima, in the darker tone of the plumage, 

 in the total absence of spots on the back, in the colour of the abdomen and under tuil- 

 coverts, which are grey, barred with white, and in the under wing-coverts being pro- 

 fusely barred with black, a character never obtained in any stage of plumage of C. maxima. 

 The spots also are rounder, and not longitudinal as in C. maxima. 



The type-specimen is evidently a very old bird. I have carefully compared it with 

 equally mature examples of C. maxima and find them to differ as above stated. The 

 accompanying plate gives a faithful representation of the bird, taken, as are the descriptions 

 and measurements, from the type specimen in Mr. Gould's collection. 



