l54L'.] the PeiuiiSHla of Indicu 331 



■ It has a very load harsh rattling screim^ geoerallr nttered dimng 

 flight. Is said to breed like the other Ki ig-jiskers in holes on the banks 

 of rivers. It is reidily take a with a bait of a mole -cricket. Irides light 

 brown J bill and leg? red. 



Length inches; wing 4 jig-ths; tail bill to front 2y*gJ:hs; at 

 gape 2 -j^^tbs. 



245. — H. capenns.^AIc. capensi^, Aajt — Malah-Poymak, Mai. L e» 

 Jungle King-Jisher. — Large J ungle King-Jisher. 



This large King-Jisher is found wherever there is lofty jangle. I 

 have seen it in Goomsoor, Milabar, and Travanoore ; also once lately 

 in a well wooded brook in the northern part of the table land. It fre- 

 quents brooks, rivers, and tanks, and, in the instances I hare observed, 

 always feeds on fish. Irides light brown ; bill deep lake red : feet 

 vermilion red. 



Length 14 to 16 inches; wing o^^g-ths; tail 4; bill to front 3 inches 

 to 3y3_ ; at gape 3 to 4 inches, 



SuB-GE>-rs CEYX. 



246. — C. mi'erosomai Burton, Proc. Zool. See. 183/ ?• — C. purpureiu^ 

 Less. ? — C. tridaetyla, Sykes' Catalogae. — Three-toed King-fisher. 



Not having obtained this little King-Jisher^ I have given the above 

 Dames as synoDymes with doubt. I have once or twice only observed 

 this rare bird frequenting a tank in the northern part of the Deccan. 



GExrs ALCEDO. 



STiB-GK5n:s ALCEDO. 



247. — A. Beagalensis, Gmel., Edw. pi. U.^Ch!>t3. Kilkila, H. 

 This species, so nearly allied to the European one, is common over 



all the peninsula, frequenting chiefly brooks and rivers, and feeding on 

 small fish, and various aquatic insects. I possess a variety m which 

 there is a good deal of white on the head, back of neck and back. la 

 this one too the bill is entirely black. I may also remark that in some 

 the shade of the plamig^? is bluish green, in others cf a pure blue. 

 Irides dark brown : bill black above ; lower mandible orange ; fe£fc 

 orange. 



Length 7 inches : bill to nont 1 -V^^s. 



