﻿grasshoppers. The note is a shrill whistle. It nests in June, sometimes perhaps even 

 in May, in holes in avicenna trees and in the neighbourhood of the tidal line. The young 

 bird has blackish markings on the breast and sides. It certainly does not occur in 

 Abyssinia ( Verreaux, Schlegel). Altogether, I only know this Kingfisher as an inhabitant 

 of the coast, and have never observed it even a few hundred paces from the water, that is 

 on the main-land, over which it travels merely to pass over a tongue of land in the quickest 

 way. Still the bird does visit lagoons in which rain-water has collected." 



Mr. Jesse brought home two specimens from the Red Sea Coast, which I agree with 

 Dr. 0. Finsch in considering to be identical with the Indian bird. His notes were as 

 follows : — " Procured among the mangrove bushes on the shore of Annesley Bay. At that 

 time they were plentiful, but had disappeared in June. I never saw it elsewhere while in 

 Abyssinia or Bogos. Procured a pair, male and female ; the latter, slightly paler in 

 plumage, but moulting, had the appearance of being a younger bird." 



Mr. Jerdon in the " Birds of India" makes the following observations: — 

 " This Kingfisher is by no means uncommon in the Bengal Sunderbuns. It is also 

 found in Arakan and along the Tenasserim Coast, extending into Malayana and the islands. 

 It appears like the others of this genus to prefer the vicinity of the sea, or tidal rivers. A 

 specimen, said to be from Madras, is in the Museum of the late East India Company ; but 

 I think it doubtful if it was procured on the Madras Coast. Nothing is recorded of the 

 habits of this bird." 



Capt. Beavan has recorded this species from the Andaman Islands, where both he and 

 Colonel Tytler found it to be very common. He adds: — " It frequents the mangrove bushes 

 along the edge of the shore, and is frequently seen to descend to the ground, feed on some- 

 thing there (probably Crustacea), and return to its perch after a short interval, apparently 

 never diving into the water after fish like other species." 



The following notes of the Yicomte de Bocarme are given by Professor Schlegel (I.e.): — 



" This bird perches on the mango-trees, the tamarinds, and even on the leaves of the 

 cocoa-nut trees. His cry resembles that of the Green Woodpecker. He has such a sharp 

 eye that he will perceive, from the height of a lofty tree and at a distance of a hundred 

 paces, an earth-worm of which only a piece an inch long is protruding from the ground ; 

 this he seizes and draws the worm gently out of the hole, as if he was afraid of breaking 

 it, and after having eaten it he goes and sits on a stump or a stone. The action of its 

 flight is slow, and contrasts with those of the true Kingfishers. It is common in all the 

 high portions of the island of Java." 



Bernstein (J. F. 0. 1859, p. 189) says, that "in Western Java, particularly in the 

 neighbourhood of my house, it was the commonest Kingfisher, and might be observed on 

 almost every river or brook. It is generally seen sitting exposed on a branch or stone, 

 watching patiently for a fish or insect, the latter forming its chief food. * * * * 

 When on the wing its clear loud note is repeatedly heard, and sounds like Ka-Keh. I 

 have repeatedly found it nesting near Gadok, in a steep bank of a brook. The nest is 

 generally a plain hole in the earth, covered and protected by an over-hanging stone or bush . 

 A few dry leaves and pieces of moss form the simple nest, on which the three or four white 

 eggs, which are not very glossy, are laid. They are generally much dirtied by the soil, and 

 only show their true colour when washed. Generally they are bluntly rounded at each 

 end, but sometimes longish eggs are found in the nest. They are 30 to 32 millimetres long, 

 by 25 to 26 broad. 



In Labuan, says Mr. Motley, " This is a common bird ; it frequently perches upon 

 high trees, and is usually met with near the sea-shore." Near Banjernmssing the same 

 collector writes, that it particularly "frequents the paddy-fields, and feeds on frogs." 



The description and figure are taken from a Gilolo specimen in my collection, obtained 

 from Mr. Wallace. 



