P E L A R e o P S I S B U R H A N I C A .
• l U ñ ñ A ffi' - ^ h ..
P E L A R G O P S I S BURMANICA.
(BURM E SE S TO RK -B ILL ED K IN G F ISH E R ).
1: ' 1.
Pelargopsis hurmanica
Halcyon leucoceplialus
Í Eamplialcyon capensis
Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1870, p.
Gould, P.Z.S. 1829, pp. 151, 152 (u€C Gm.)
Eeich., Handb. Alced., p. 16, t. cccxcix, fig. 3072-73 (1851).
P. rostro rubro : scapularibus viridi-eyaneis: capite distincte pileato, albescenti-cinereo, haud cyaneo lavato.
Hab. in plagá Indo-sinensi subregionis IcdD-SLolayance.
Head, which is d istinctly capped, clear alb e sc en t-g rey ; sides o f th e neck and a collar
encircling the same very deep ochre ; upper p a rt o f the back and scapularies d u ll green
with a fa in t blue lu stre here and th e re ; whole o f th e back v e ry rich c o b a lt; wing coverts
greenish more d istinctly washed with blue ; quills brown, the in n er web p ale ochre a t the
base, th e ex terio r web, especially o f the secondaries, ex tern ally edged w ith b rig h t blue ;
ta il b rig h t blue above, dark bro\vn b eneath ; en tire u n d e r surface very deep o c h r e ; bill
d a rk v e rra illio n ; feet d a rk red. Total len g th 14.0 inches, o f b ill from fro n t 3.4, from
gape 3.7, wing 6.0, tail 3.8, ta rsu s 0.5, middle toe 1.0, hin d toe 0.5.
Hah. Andaman Islands -Searan.), Bm-mah (5Z?/i/i), Siam (Schomhurgh), Tenasserim
Provinces (Briggs).
This is th e b ird spoken of by Mr. B ly th and other ornithologists as the Burmese race
o f Halcyon gurial, b u t u n til my recent examination o f th e genus its exact range h ad n o t
been correctly made out. From all other brown-capped species o f Pelargopsis the present
species differs in the colour of the cap, which is albescent, and n o t bro-wn as in its allies.
The range of Pelargopsis hurmanica, as h ith e rto determined, seems to indic.ate tlia t it
is confined to th e Indo-Chinese region. I t is common in Burmah, and also m et with in
Siam, while I am o f opinion th a t i t is also found iu the n o rth e rn p a rt of th e Malayan
peninsular. Colonel T y tle r obtained i t in the Andaman Islands, where h e states i t was
“ very abundant, frequenting the groves o f mangroves which sk irt the sea-shore.”
I have doubtfully referred the bfrds figured by Reichenbach (Z.c.) to th e p resent species.
Additional references.—Halcyon leucocephalus {nec Gm.) Scliomb. Ibis, 1864, p. 247 ; Beav. Ibis, 1866. p.
221; Walden, P.Z.S. 1866, p. 553; Beav. Ibis, 1867, p. 318; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. I, p. 123
(1854, pl.)
ill'