﻿HALCYON MALIMBICA. 



C ASHY-FRONTED KINGFISHER.) 



Alcedo malimbica . 

 Halcyon malimbica . 

 CancropJiaga malimbica . 

 Alcedo cinereifrons . 

 Halcyon cinereifrons 

 Todiramplius cinereifrons 

 Ca neroph ay a c i nereifro ns 

 Dacelo cinereifrons 

 Halcyon torquatus . 

 Halcyon torquata 



Shaw, Gen. Zool. VIII. p, 66 (1811). 



Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mas. p. 8 (1852), 



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



Vieill, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. XIX. p. 403 (1818). 



Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 (1846). 



Birth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 48 (1849). 



Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). 



Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 29 (1863). 



Swains. Birds of W. Afr. II, p. 99 (1837). 



Mull. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 7. 



II. maxilla rubra, mandibula nigra : scapularibus nigerrimis : minor : pileo cinereo. 

 Hah. in Africa occidentals 



Adult. Entire head ashy- grey, becoming tinged "with blue on the nape; back, from 

 the nape to the rump, rich cobalt; scapularies and wing-coverts jet black; quills black, 

 the inner web white at the base, the basal half of the exterior web of the primaries, and 

 nearly the entire outer web of the secondaries, brilliant cobalt ; tail dark cobalt above, 

 black beneath ; throat, and a narrow line over the e}'e, white ; space between the bill and 

 the eye, feathers round the eye extending backwards over the ear-coverts, deep black ; 

 cheeks, ear coverts, sides of the neck and the breast, greenish cobalt ; abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts, white; flanks grey, with obscure vermiculations ; upper mandible vermilion, 

 black at the base and towards the tip, lower mandible jet black ; feet red. Total length 10 

 inches, of bill from front 2.3, from gape 2.7, wing 4.6, tail 3.2, tarsus 0.5, middle toe, 0.8, 

 hind toe, 0.35. 



Very old. Head ashy, all except the forehead itself washed with cobalt ; entire back 

 exceedingly rich cobalt; tail bright blue above, black beneath ; throat and abdomen pure 

 white, under tail- coverts distinctly washed with cobalt and vermiculated ; flanks washed 

 with a cobalt lustre. Total length 10.5 inches, of bill from front 2.3, from gape 2.7, wing 

 4.5, tail 3.0, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 0.8. 



Additional references. — Halcyon malimbica, Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 282 : Alcedo cinereifrons, Bon. et Vieill. 

 Encl. Meth. I, p. 395 (1823); Vieill. Gal. desOis. pi. 187 (1825) ; Halcyon cinereifrons, jard. Ann. Nat. Hist. 

 XVII, 86 (1846); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 53 (1848) ; Sundev. Ofv. 1849 ; p. 162, Verr. Kev. et Mag. do 

 Zool. 1851, p. 265 ; Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 2 j id. Orn. Westatr. p. 45 (1857) ; id. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 

 104 ; Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 64 (1867); Gray, Handl. of B. p 90. 



