﻿ISPIDINA NATALENSIS. 



(NATAL KINGFISHER.) 



Aleedo natahnsis, . Smith, S. Afr. Quart. Journ. No, V., p. 14 (1831). 



Ispidina natahnsis, .... Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, pp. 281, 283. 



Ispidina nitida, .... Kaup, Fam. Meed. p. 13 (1848). 



Alcedo nitida, .... Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 65 (1848). 



Corythornis nitida .... Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854). 



Alcedo picturata .... Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 16 (1863). 



Alcedo nutans, .... Bianc. Spec. Zool. Mosamb. fasc, XVIII, p. 320 (nec VieilL). 



Alcedo picta, Jard. Edinb. New Philos. Journ. n. s. Ill, p. 242 {nec Bodd.). 



Ispidina picta, .... Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 246 (nec Kaup). 



Halcyon cyanotis .... Layard, Birds of S, Afr. p. 64 (nec Swains.). 



I. pileo nigro, ultramarino fasciato : abdomine aurantiaco : macula post-auriculari laete cyanea. 

 Hob. in Africa eur-australi. 



Crown of the head black, barred with rich ultramarine ; a line of feathers extending 

 from the base of the nostrils backwards over the eye, cheeks, sides and back of the head 

 rich lilac rufous; a. patch of feathers behind the ear rich ultramarine; wing-coverts black 

 washed with ultramarine ; primaries brownish-black, their inner webs light rufous at the 

 base ; upper surface of the tail rich ultramarine, under surface black ; throat white ; rest 

 of the under- surface of the body bright orange-red ; bill rich coral-red ; feet red ; irides dark 

 brown. Total length 4 inches, of bill from front 0.9, from gape 1.1, wing 2.1, tail 0.9, tarsus 

 0.25, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.2. 



Hab. Natal (Ayres), Mosambique (Bianconi), Caflraria {mus. Lugd.) Zambesi River 

 (mus. R. B. Sliarpe). 



The chief characters which distinguish the present species from Ispidina picta of 

 Abyssinia and Western Africa, are the stouter beak, the brighter plumage, and especially, 

 the bright blue spot behind the ear, which forms a conspicuous and characteristic feature. 

 As pointed out by me in my recent paper in the "Ibis," Kaup's Ispidina nitida is the 

 young bird, of which the hinder figure in the accompanying plate, taken from Kaup's type 



Additional references. — Alcedo natalensis, Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 66 (ex SmitJi). Alcedo nitida, Gray, 

 Gen. of Birds, App. p. 5 (1848); Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 4, Mull. Journ. f. Orn 1855, p. 9, Hartl. Orn. 

 Westafr. p. 36 (1857;. Ispidina nitida, Eeich. Handb. Alced. p. G (1851). Alcedo picta, Hartl. and Finsch, Orn. 

 Ostafr. p. 171 (nec Bodd.). 



