﻿HALCYON OKIENTALIS. 



(EASTERN KINGFISHER.) 



Halcyon orientalis, .... Peters, Journ. f. Orn. 1868, p. 134. 



.... Hartl. and Finsch,Orn. Ostafr. p. 162 (1869). 



H. rostro breviori, fusco-rubro, versus apicem nigro : pileo distincte striato : major : scapularibus nigris : 

 pectore unicolori. 



Hab. in Africa orientali. 



Adult Male. Head light brown, striped with dark brown along the shaft of each feather ; 

 upper part of the back, scapularies and wing-coverts deep black ; lower part of the back 

 and upper tail-coverts bright blue ; quills light brown, the inner web pale orange at the base, 

 the outer web edged with bright blue, more especially on the secondaries ; tail greenish- 

 blue above, blackish beneath ; a loral spot produced backwards over the eye, sides of 

 and a collar round the neck, and the entire under-surface white, inclining to fulvous on the 

 flanks, and purest on the throat and upper part of the breast ; bill dusky- vermilion ; feet 

 orange. Total length 8.5 inches, of bill from front 1.65, from gape 2.2, wing 4.0, tail 2.4, 

 tarsus 0.5, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.35. 



Young Female. Head brown with indistinct stripes of darker brown down the centre of 

 each feather ; a loral spot extending backwards over the eye, sides of the neck and a collar 

 encircling the back of the neck, dirty white ; middle of the back, scapularies and wing- 

 coverts deep umber brown ; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts dull greenish- 

 blue ; quills light-brown, the base of the inner web pale orange, the outer web edged with 

 greenish-blue, especially on the secondaries ; tail greenish-blue above, brownish-black 

 beneath ; throat white ; breast fulvous with a few faint stripes on the upper part ; bill dull 

 vermilion ; feet orange; eye black. Total length 8.5, of bill from front 1.6, from gape 

 2.1, wing 3.9, tail 2.2, tarsus 0. 45, middle toe 0.65, hind toe 0.25. 



Hab. Zambesi (mus. Walderi), Mozambique (Peters), Mombas (van der Decken). 



The description and measurements given above are from two of the typical specimens, 



