Order PICARLE.] 
[Fait. ALCEDINTDE. 
HALCYON VAGANS. 
(NEW-ZEALAND KINGFISHER.) 
Alcedo sacra, var. D, Lath. Gen. Syn. Snppl. p. 114 (1790). 
Alcedo sacra, var. e, Bonn, et Vieill. Enc. Meth. i. p. 295 (1823). 
Alcedo vagans, Less. Voy. Coq. i. p. 694 (1826). 
Alcedo chlorocephala, var. y, Less. Traite d’Orn. p. 546 (1831). 
Halcyon vagans. Gray, Yoy. Ereb. & Terror, p. 3, pi. 1 (1844). 
Alcedo cyanea, Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 76 (1844). 
Todirhamphus vagans, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 157 (1850). 
Dacelo sancta (pt.), Schl. Cat. Mus. Pays-Bas, Alced. p. 37 (1863). 
Halcyon sanctus, Finsch, J. f. O. 1870, p. 246 ; Hutton, Cat. Birds N. Z. p. 3 (1871). 
Native names. 
Kotare and Kotaretare ; “ Kingfisher ” of the colonists. 
Ad. supra sordide viridis, pileo laterals et dorso postico uropygioque cyanescentibus : loris et supercilio antico ful- 
vis : gen is, cum regione parotica utraque circa collum posticum conjuncta, nigris vix viridi tinctis : macula 
nucliali et collo toto albidis, torquem collarem latam formantibus : tectricibus alarum cyanescenti-viridibus : 
remigibus nigricantibus, primariis ad basin et secundariis extiis laete cyanescentibus : cauda suprk cyane- 
scente, subtus grisea : corpore subtus toto lsete fulvescente, gutture albicante : rostro nigro, ad basin man- 
dibulse albo : pedibus saturate brunneis : iride nigricanti-brunnea. 
Juv. similis adultis, sed sordidior : tectricibus alarum fulvo marginatis : pectoris et colli postici plumis brunneo 
marginatis. 
Adult male. Crown, shoulders, and scapulars deep sea-green, with an olive tinge ; back, tail-coverts, and upper 
surface of wings ultramarine, changing to green in certain lights ; quills and tail-feathers washed with 
cobalt on their outer webs. A spot of bright fulvous fills the lores, a dash of ultramarine blue, bordered 
above the eyes and on the occiput with white, surrounds the crown ; and a broad band of black, proceeding 
from the angles of the mouth, completely encircles the hind head. Throat, breast, and a broad nuchal 
collar bufEy white ; the rest of the under surface delicate fawn-colour, with deepening tints. Irides black ; 
bill black, with the basal portion of tbe lower mandible white ; feet dark brown, with paler soles. Extreme 
length 9' 75 inches; extent of wings 13 - 6; wing, from flexure, 4; tail 2'6 ; bill, along the ridge T75, along 
the edge of lower mandible 2'1 ; tarsus - 6 ; middle toe and claw T05 ; hind toe and claw - 6. 
Female. Tints of the plumage generally duller. 
Young. In the young bird the throat is pure white ; the underparts fulvous-white, tinged on the sides with 
fawn-colour ; feathers of the breast broadly margined with dusky brown, forming an irregular pectoral zone ; 
loral spots and nuchal collar rufous, with markings of the same colour on the fore part of the crown ; nuchal 
collar indistinct and largely marked with brown ; plumage of the upper parts darker than in the adult ; the 
wing-coverts margined with yellow, in the form of narrow crescentic bands. 
Progress towards maturity. Tints of the plumage brighter ; the loral spots bright fulvous ; the sides, flanks, 
lining of wings, and under tail-coverts bright fawn-colour ; pectoral zone indistinct, the dark margins being 
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