IG n g fisW comes from Jav a, to which island i t seems to be entirely
N d g e n /ra l e c / o m ™ ™» » « 1® ¡® » -ow n o f its h ab it!
d u r i S S / i N “ S'™“ “ ® ft® ®® f t ft® P -® " ‘ ®P®®i®®
fn n n d 'ii?* "®®* ®°>'»'-®®» i I®»gft o f a frcsh Specimen 1 0 | inches, I
n T t f h -®r™® ' ¥ ? “ ®1 ? frequentmg th e banks o f streams shaded by forest. I t often
l /b i t e ! ™ ft™®hes, b u t m o th er respects resembled o ur own Kingfisher hi its
de A »"™/®®»»y f feft®» f t ft® v e ry in teresting notes on Javanese birds b y th e Vlcomte
io n s N t o - ’ » i " ® * " "S Prtfe®®or Schlegel in liis “ Catalogue.” The following obscrvm
tions of th is nobleman are ex tra c ted th en c e :__
“ In Jav a i t is frequently observed on th e d ry hedges in th e rioe-flelds, where i t is
c o n tin u ity pouncmg on eaihh-worms, crabs, little fish, molluscs, &c. I t likweise devours
snails w ith then- shells. I t is also found in th e stu n te d copses o f th o rn s and bamboo. In
th e forenoon d u rin g th e months o f J a n u a ry and February, th e male, perched on th e top of
b “l ” ft® ®»ll-hote, “ ta i-ta i-ta i-i-i-i” ; to liis affectionate g reeting th e female arouses
h erself, leaps hig h in to the a ir, and replies with an two eggs o f th is b ird m May, in a h o h ’ ' ’ ---------------- answering a c ry , “ c ri-tri-tri-i-1.” A I took
cuuK
4.U '
th "• ^ e a rth which filled a cleft in th e rock •
th e e ir ir form foi-mis is ro ro u u n n d d and and th th e ir ‘
colour white. I ts flig h t is sluggish, aud i t is accustomed o fte?
to se ttle on th e g ro u n d .”
I should be u n g rate fu l were I to close th is article without recording my sincere obliira-
tions to my kin d friend Mr. W. J . F ra se r o f Soerabaya, who has tak en a g re a t deal of
tro u b le to p ro cu re me specimens o f Javanese Kingfishers. Of th e p resent species h e has
sen t me home several m spirits which I hope to tu rn to good account when th e anatomy is
considered. In one o f his le tte rs he informs me th a t unlike Alcedo herallina, which is found
on th e sea-coast. Halcyon cyanoventris is only m et with inland.
The description, measurements, and figure a re from a beautiful skin purchased o f Mr
(x. Adolphe F r a i i , jum o r, who in bis capacity as a N a tu ra l H is to ry Ag en t has been in stru m
en ta l m p ro cu rin g me m any ra re species o f K ingfishers,
i l l