Above bronzy-gre en; a stre ak from the n o stra l to th e eye, rufous; lower p a rt
o f th e back and th e ex te rio r web o f th e wing an d ta il feathers minutely spotted with white;
m te rio r web o f th e same irreg u la rly half-banded with white; entire under-surface chcsnut-
rufous, paler on th e chin an d sides o f th e n e c k ; bill b lack ; feet red. Total len g th 8.8 inches
o f b ill from fr-ont 1.9, from gape 2.5, wing 3.9, tail 2.6, tarsu s 0.07, middle toe 0.6, hind
toe 0.05.
Similar to th e male, b u t has th e b rea st crossed b y a transverse belt, green
mixed w ith white.
Hah. Centra l Am erica ; Nicaragua, creytovm {Holland), Veragua, Panama {M cL ea n n a n ), Turbo
{Wood), Guiana: British Guiana {Schomhurgh), Cayenne {Mus. P . L . Sclater). Amazonia:
Mesiana, P a ra ( Wallace), Mammoneirfl, Guadamor, Matrinoham, {Natterev), Hu allag a Eiyor, Pe ru v ian AmarouB
{E. BartleU). Brazil: Cuyaba {Natterer), Babia {Wucherer, mus. 0 . Salvin). W an d o f Santa
Ca tb e rin a {m U S . Dresd.)
This fine species along w ith Ceryle superciliosa foims th e subgenus Amazonis o f Rcich-
enbach, which was considered to be a distin ct genus b y Bonaparte. This is only one out
of many instances in which th e last-named Ornithologist admitted genera solely on the
g ro u n d o f a d istin c t style o f coloration and n o t from any real stru c tu ra l difference. Tbe
two species included b y him in th is genus do n o t p resen t any variation o f form from th a t of
th e o th e r American Green Kingfishers, and a re ouly remarkable in so much th a t the
u n d e r surface o f th e body is en tirely rufous.
Mr. C. J . Wood who obtained th is species d u rin g th e U. S. Isthmus o f Dai’ien Exp ed ition
observes, that_ “ one specimen was seen in a salt wa te r mai-sh ne ar th e village o f Turbo,
v e ry quiet and easily approached.”
I am indebted to Mr. E dw ard B a rtle tt, whose energetic researches iu E a ste rn P e ru
have co n trib u ted so much to increase our knowledge o f th e Avi-fauna o f th a t almost inaccessible
p a rt o f South America, for th e foUowing v e ry in terestin g n o te on th e habits o f this
species.
“ The Ceiyle inda is v e iy ra re on th e waters o f th e Pe ru v ian Amazon, o r River
Mai-auon. D u rin g th e four ye ars I resided th e re I only obtamed two specimens, -which I
shot in a small brook n e a r Santa Cruz, on th e HuaUaga River. They a re n o t found on the
open waters, b u t in th e densely-covered small streams. The n e s t is in holes in th e banks
as in th e case o f o th er Kingfishers. Th is species is extreme ly shy and diificiilt to obtain.”
The figures in th e p late and th e descriptions a re from a fine pair in my owm collection
from Demerara.
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