The Birds of Gambia. 215 
lions, <;i'iii;rally siiiLfly, l>ut in the winter occasioiiailx three ov fxwv together. 
'I'hey are most i)owert'ul h>okiiiy l)ii'ds with treiiien<lnusly stroiifj; beaks anil 
l)esi(les beiiiu; larger than the Pied Kiniffisliei's aie nuieh more heavily built 
than they are aiul altoijether less (luick and ac:ti\e in their movements. 
They are rarely seen hoverin<j but watch from some post or branch for their 
prey, which by no means consists entirely of fish, but includes frogs, i&c, 
and even larije insects : in the stomach of one I shot was an almost fresh 
centipede. 
Tlie ifeneral colom' above is bluisli black sliijhtly mottled with white, 
the win<,'s anil tail with largei' spots of white. Foreliead tinyed with i-nfous ; 
(•rown, which is crested, deej) black : a stripe of white followed by one of 
black crosses the sides of the face ; the chin is white bordered at the sides 
with black ; chest, a rich rufous ; remainder of under surface, white. Iris, 
dark brown ; bill, black ; legs, dark brown. Length, 17 inches. 
A Icedu quadrihachys. 
Raiiije. West Africa, Senegambia to (xold Coast. ( fl.L. ' 
A bird rather smaller than our English KingHsher, but with very 
similar plumage, e.\cept that the n]>i)er pai'ts ai'e a d;irker and more i)ui])le 
blue. I do not know this species here. 
Con/flioniis ef/aiio.sliijiiiij. CRESTBD KINGFISHER. 
/in/ii/p : Tropical Africa. I ILL. ) 
A lovely little bird which haunts pools and small streams rather than 
the main river, and which one not infre((Uently sees sitting a few inches 
above the surface of the- watei' under the dark shadow of the overhanging 
foliage, or darting like a flash of l)lue tire througli the matted tangle of the 
water-side vegetation. Its food probably consists mainly of large water 
insects, such as dragon flies and beetles, as well as small fish. 
Above it is bright blue ; the crown bears a distinct crest of lovely 
gleaming peacock blue feathers ; the chin, forehead and a patch at side of 
neck are white, the remainder of the under surface a rich orange-buff. Iris, 
brown : bill and legs, red. Length, 6 inches. 
hl>i,i;mt piria. TINY KINGFISHER. 
Raiiijc. West Africa, Senegambia to Angola ; Congo to Eijuatorial 
Africa; North-east Africa. (H.L.) 
This, the smallest of our Kingfishers, haunts thick bush, not by any 
means necessarily close to water, and feeds almost entirely on insects, which 
it catches either on the wing or on the ground. In this country I think 
grasshoppers and locusts supply their chief food 
Dearriptioii : Above, bright cobalt-blue slightly spotted with black, 
quills brown bordered with blue ; crown black crossed by narrow dark blue 
bars and with the feathers elongated to form a distinct crest. Forehead, 
lores and eyebrows rufous, this colour being prolonged to form a band round 
the nai)e ; cliin white: rest of under surface dee]) rufous. Bill and feet 
black. Leng'.h 41 inches. 
Om- reiniinin,' Kingasheiv-i l)elo:igtu the ;/,'7//.s 1 1 il i/nni. live represent- 
atives of which are given in the Hand List as ranging to Gambia, and of these 
I know four, all comp.irati vely large " blue King i shei's with red beaks. Three 
of tliese are found all along the river, liotli anion" the man<n-oves near the 
