﻿Dr. Dohrn (I. c.) observes: — The manner of lite of this bird reminded me of our 

 owls. I often observed them in the day-time sitting motionless on a branch, as if they 

 were fast asleep, in dark shady localities. The smalls birds strongly dislike them ; I 

 supposed that sometimes their children are not refused by the Halcyones for a meal. As 

 soon as they are discovered in their retreat, lots of Nectarinice Zosteropes, &c, are around 

 them, and amuse themselves with abusing them; finally the Halcyon leaves the place with 

 a short shrieking outcry. If not annoyed, he has a soft melancholic tune which sometimes 

 appeared to me like soft and weeping cries of a child. They usually feed upon big insects ; 

 and I found often in their stomach pieces of snails, especially of Columna flammea. They 

 live in the Avoods, in the neighbourhood of small streams. Their name on the island is 

 1 Chocho.' " 



Mr. Keulemans with more precision gives the following additional details with regard 

 to the life-history of this hitherto little-known species: — 



" This bird inhabits Ilha do Principe, where it is very common and remarkably tame. 

 It is generally met with in the forests, near any river or rivulet, sitting on a branch 

 growing over the water, and on the look-out for water-insects, small fishes, &c. It evinces 

 great partiality for snails. When it has found one it descends, seizes it in its great beak, 

 and returns again to its resting-place. Sometimes great numbers of snail- shells may be 

 seen strewed about under the place where the bird has been sitting. During the rainy 

 season, when snails are very plentiful, the Kingfisher catches so many in the morning, 

 that it is scarcely able to fly in the after- part of the day, and then may be seen sitting 

 half-asleep without the least sign of life. I often saw it in this state and have caught 

 specimens with a horse- hair noose fastened to the end of a short stick. When captured, 

 it makes a peculiar noise, crying chek, chek, chek, which the smaller birds {Zoster opes, 

 Cuphopteri, Symplectes, Nectarinice, etc.) no sooner hear, than they surround the unfortunate 

 bird, coining very close and persecuting it, all the while screaming vociferously. I have 

 seen as many as sixty birds surrounding one Kingfisher and tormenting it. In the day- 

 time the latter seems to be afraid of the small birds, but in the early morning, when it 

 has not over-eaten itself, the tables are turned, and the Kingfisher is then master 

 of the field." 



" Having observed the hatred exhibited by the small birds for this species of Halcyon, 

 I stuffed a specimen, and by placing it in a conspicuous place I was soon able to procure 

 as many small birds as 1 wanted." 



" The Halcyon dryas hatches its young during the months of August and September 

 before the commencement of the rainy season. Its builds no nest, and the female lays two 

 or three glossy white eggs upon the mould in the hole of a tree. Generally these holes 

 are very deep and very dirty. Notwithstanding the latter fact, however, the young birds 

 are always clean and handsome, but they have a very disagreable smell." 



" The sexes are alike, and the young on leaving the nest are the same size as their 

 parents, but differ considerably in colour. They are very brown on leaving the nest. In 

 the second month the colour becomes paler and more greenish ; in the third month the 

 blue of the wing feathers, back and tail, becomes more distinct and brighter, and the under 

 parts are more blueish ; in the fourth month, the above-mentioned blueish parts are nearly 

 clear, and the brown on the ears and neck becomes yellowish. From the above notes it 

 will be seen that rhe young assume the adult plumage gradually. 1 shot altogether about 

 forty specimens during my stay in the island, of which nearly thirty were young birds, all 

 of them differing according to their age. The native name is Dyo-dyo or Djoo-djoo, 

 which signifies stupid." 



The large figure in the plate represents an old male shot by Mr. Keulemans himself 

 now in the Leiden Museum. The small figure flying in the back-ground is a young bird. 



