Birds of Celebes: Alcedinidae. 
285 
is of a very pale yellowish orange. Length 190 mm; wing 89; tarsus 16; hill 44.5 
(Hume & Davis. 5). 
Eggs. 6; a little more ohlong than those oi Alcedo ispida, shell less smooth and less glossy, 
somewhat rough in certain places; colour pure and transparent white. Average size: 
33.6X28.5 mm (Taczanowski 12). 
Nest. A single nest of this species found hy Mr. Kalinowski in Corea was formed in the 
perpendicular sandy wall of a ravine, at a height of 4 meters. Hole like that of 
A. ispida, entrance elliptical, tunnel a meter deep, nearly horizontal and curved, widened 
and deepened at the bottom, lined with a thick hed of the hones of frogs and lizards, 
intermingled with the remains of large insects. The nest appeared to have done 
service for several years (Taczan. 12). 
Ahhe David writes (c 4): “Je I’ai trouve nichant sur un grand arbre des 
montagnes de Pekin” [?]. 
Breeding season. Corea, summer (Taczan. 12)] Yangtse, young birds leave the nest in July 
(Styan 16). 
Distribution. Bengal and the Indian Peninsula (Jerdon b 2, Vidal 5, Butler 7); Ceylon 
(Layard 4)] Burmah (Beavan c 2, Oates 9)] Tenasserim (Briggs e 2, Davison 3, 
etc.); Andaman Is. (Beavan c 2, Hume 3, etc.); Nicohar Is. (Hume 3); Malay 
Peninsula (Cantor c 2, Kelham 8, etc.); Singapore (Kelham 8, Davison el)] 
Sumatra (Kreling c 3, Klaesi 11, Hartert 73**®, Modigl. c 10)] Borneo (Wall, c 3, 
Doria & Beccari c 3, Everett, etc. 73); Bunguran, Natuna (Everett 37); Celebes, 
Minahassa (v. Musschenhroek a 2, c 5, c 7, Gruillem. 10, Hat. Coll.); Philippines 
— Balabac and Basilan (Steere 15), Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester 33), Balahac 
(Everett 33), Palawan (Whitehead 74, Platen c 8); Cambodia (Mouhot e 7); Siam 
(Schomburgk c 3, Conrad e 7); Cochin China (Day c 3, Oustalet c 4); Hainan 
(Styan 20)] China (David c 4, Styan 73, De La T ouche 78) ; Corea (Kalinowski 73); 
Askold Id. (Taczan. c 3); Japan — Hipon (Stejneger 77). 
This species, the Black-capped Kingfisher of Indian naturalists, has hitherto 
been recorded only twice from Celebes, first by van Musschenbroek who 
states (a 2) that one was shot by his son between Manado and Tanahwangko 
in November, which was sent to the Leyden Museum (c 5, c7), and again in 
1885 it was found near Kema, 20 miles from Manado, by a native hunter left 
there to collect by Dr. Guillemard, by whom two immature and one adult 
birds were obtained. Dr. Guillemard has overlooked van Musschenbroek’s 
notice, which is thus confirmed. The Dresden Museum has recently received 
two further specimens from Celebes obtained the first at Likoupang, 10. Febr. 
1894, the other at Manado, 24. March, 1895. This Kingfisher , like Alcedo 
ispida., is a migratory species, and in all probability the Celebesian specimens 
obtained were winter migrants from East Asia. In proof of this statement we 
tabulate the following observations: 
Corea: “rather common in summer, nests, and leaves the country for the 
winter” — Taczanowski 12. 
China: “disappears at the end of summer, retiring to Cochin China” — 
David & Oustalet c 4. “Summer visitant to the Lower Yangtse 
Basin”. “Comes annually to breed in the Yangtse Valley” — Styan 16. 
