﻿Hah. Senegal (mus. Ltigd., Philad.), River Gambia (mus. Brent.), Casamanze ( Ver- 

 reaiu; mus. R. B. S.), Sierra Leone (Afzelius), Rio Boutry (mus. Philad.), River Bonny 

 (Jardine), Gaboon (Verreaux), Angola (Monteiro), Natal (mus. Philad.). 



This beautiful Kingfisher is closely allied to the Wood Kingfisher (Halcyon dryas), 

 from which, however, it differs in being less robust, and in having the head ashy-grey in- 

 stead of dark brown ; the lower mandible, also, is never such a deep black in Halcyon dryas. 



We unfortunately know but little of the habits of the present bird. Mr. Monteiro 

 (I.e.) has recorded the following observations with regard to its occurrence in Angola : — 



" Not uncommon near Bembe in the thick woods at the bottoms of the ravines, where 

 there is water. Subsists on insects. Seen sitting on a branch, head aloft, whence they 

 dart forth to secure their prey and return. Called Telampidca." 



I am not quite satisfied that the present species really occurs in Natal. The only 

 evidence of its being found there rests on the evidence of a single specimen in the Philadel- 

 phia Museum, but as I am able to discover, it has never been since met with in that locality. 

 I am inclined to consider H. malimbica a purely West African species, possessing, however, 

 tended range than its congener, H. dryas. 



The subjects of the accompanying plate have been taken from two specimens in my 

 own collection. The foremost figure represents a Senegambian bird from Casamanze, pur- 

 chased of Verreaux. This is the specimen described above as " adult," and exhibits the 

 usual state of plumage in which the bird occurs. The hinder figure represents a most 

 splendid bird from Gaboon, also purchased of Verreaux. It differs from every other speci- 

 men I have seen in having the blue much more brilliant, the black much more deep, and 

 the whole of the head distinctly washed with a beautiful blue lustre, the forehead alone 

 being decidedly ashy. This bird might well be taken for a distinct species, but after 

 careful consideration, I think it can only be the extremely old bird of H. malimbica; as such 

 I have described it above, and figured it. 



