liüli
u i
* *
HALCYON BADIA.
HA L C YON BADIA.
(CHE SNU T KIN G F ISH E R .)
Halcyon haiia,
Dacelo haiia,
Halcyon cancrophaga ?
VeiT. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 2G4.
Schl. Mus. Pays Bas. Alced. p. 28 (1863).
Striekl. Contr. Orn. 1851, p. 134.
H. rostro rubro : caudâ longiori : pilco castaneo-rufo : minor ; scapularibu.s eastaneis : subtus oinninô alba.
Hah. in Africâ occidentali.
Above chesnut^red; wing coverts black, tinged with chesnut; wing-feathers blackish,
the in n er web whitish from the base; th e secondaries rich blue near the base, formino- a
broad band across th e w in g ; lower p a rt o f th e back, upper tail coverts and upper surface
o f the tail rich cobalt, the latter with a lilack band along the tip, under surface blackish ;
cheeks and sides o f the neck deep ch e sn u t; entire u nder surface w h ite; bill and feet deep
vermilion red . Total length 7.5 inches, o f bill from fro n t 1.5, from gape 1.9, wing 3.7,
ta il 2.3, ta rsu s 0.4, middle toe 0.6, hind toe 0.3.
Hah. Sierra Leone (mm J . Gould), Gaboon (Verreaux), River Ogobai (Dir Chaillu).
This v e iy d istin c t species o f Halcyon belongs to the chesnut headed group, containing
H. fusca, H. gularis, and H . badia. From bo th o f these allied species the present b ird maj-
be easily distinguished by its smaller size, chesnut scapularies, and entirely white u ndersurface.
•The Messrs. V e rreau x in th e ir o riginal d escription state th at this Kingfisher is “ very
rare in the forests o f Gaboon, where i t feeds on insects.”
To Mr. Gould I am indebted for a p resent o f the bird, from which the description is
taken, while th e figure is draivn from th e only specimen in the Leiden Museum. This from
the markings on the b rea st appears to be immature.
Aclclitioual Roferenees.—i7a?oyoii ftaiij'a, Hartl. Joum. f. Ora. 1854, p. 3, id, Orn. Wnstafr. p. 33 (18-57),
Müller. Journ. f. Ora. 1855, p. 8, Cass. Proe. Phil. Acad. 1859, p. 34, Heine, Jouru. Ï. Ora. I860, p. 187 Ilarll
Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 105, Du Chaillu, Equ. Air. p, 472 (1861). .
Hi!
I,,, 1 .! ;
■ :|1 '