﻿HALCYON SENEGALOIDES. 



(MANGROVE KINGFISHER). 



Halcyon senegaloides . Smith, S. Afr. Quart. Journ. II, p. 144 (1834). 

 Cancrophaga senegaloides, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854) 



Halcyon irrorata, . . Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 11, t.cccc, fig. 3078, t.cccci, fig. 3079 (1851). 



H. rostro toto rubro : pileo cinereo thalassino lavato : dorso thalassino : pectore cinereo : abdomine medio albo. 



Hab. in Africa australi orientali. 



Head and nape cinereous, with a greenish- blue lustre ; back and scapularies thalassine- 

 blue, very bright on the lower part of the back; wing- coverts deep black; wing-feathers 

 blackish, white at the base, the basal half of the outer web of the primaries, and nearly 

 the whole of the outer web of the secundaries brilliant thalassine-blue ; tail above blue, 

 beneath black ; a stripe from the base of the beak extending backwards over the eye, dusky 

 cinereous ; spot in front of the eye and ring of feathers round the eye black ; throat, abdomen, 

 under wing and tail-coverts white, the latter washed with blue; cheeks, sides of the neck, 

 breast and flanks cinereous with a greenish lustre, and with transverse cinereous vermicula- 

 tions ; bill coral-red ; feet dark reddish yellow ; eye dark brown. Total length 9 inches, of 

 bill from front 2, from gape 2.4, wing 4.2, tail 2.6, tarsus 0.45, middle toe 0.8, hind toe 0.4. 



Hab. Natal (Smith, Ayres), Southern Mozambique (Peters). 



The present species is rare in European Museums, and has as yet only been met with in 

 Natal and South Mozambique. Sir Andrew Smith, the original describer, states that 

 " like other members of the group, Halcyon senegaloides resorts to thickets and feeds upon 

 insects, especially Crustacea and gryllos." 



Additional references. — Halcyon senegaloides, Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. pi. 63 (1849), Bonap. Consp. Gen. 

 Av. I, p. 158 (1850), Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mns. p. 8 (1850), Miiller, Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 7, Gurney, Ibis, 1805, 

 p. 265, Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 63 (1867). Halcyon irrorata, Cab. Van der Decken's lieise, III, p. 36 (1868), 

 Hartl. & Finsch, Orn. Ost. Afr. p. 159 (1869). 



