»Häri!
ALCEDO S EMI TOEQÜA T A .
(HA L F -COL LAR ED K IN G F ISH E R .)
Alcedo semitorquata,
Alcedo azureus,
Swains. Zool. Illustr. pl. 1-51 (1823).
Less. Traité d ’Om. p. 243 (1831).
A. torque pectorali nullá; abdomine aurantiaco.
Hab. in Abyssiniá, in Africá occidentali e t australi.
Head and nape deep blue, banded witb b rig h t blue, the sides o f the head above the
e ar-coverts being o f a n exceedingly rich co lo u r; back v e ry rich cobalt; scapularies washed
with b rig h t b lu e ; wing-coverts blue, spotted wdth cobalt; r in g -fe a th e rs black, th e inner
web whitish from th e base, th e oute rweb broadly edged with blue, especially ou th e
secondai’i e s ; tail blue above, black beneath; th ro a t and a longitudinal p atch of feathers
along th e sides o f the neck white, th e la tte r slightly tinged with orange; a very small loral
spot lig h t yellowish; under-surface o f the body orange, th e u pper p a rt o f th e breast having
a lai’ge patch o f blue feathers on each side, forming a half-collar; b ill black ; feet red.
T otal length 7.5 inches, o f bill from fro n t 1.8, from gape 2.3, wing 3.2, tail 1.8, tarsus
0.25, middle toe 0.5, hin d toe 0.25.
Hab. Ahjssima, (Riippell, Heuglin, Blanford), Senegal {mus. H ein.), Orange River {mus.
This species is called th e ‘ Half-collared ’ Kmgfisher, from its having th e blue I
R . B. Sharpe), Cape Colony {Layard), Caffi’aria {Brehm, mus. Lugd.), Zambesi River (mus.
G. D. Roioley).
Additional Eeferences.—Alcedo semitorquata, Eiipp. Syst. Ubers. p. 20, t. 7 (1845), Kaup. Fain. Alced. p. 17
(1848), Gray and Mitcli. Gen. of Birds, I, p. 63 (c. 1844), Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 63 (1848), Bonap.
Consp. Gen. Av. I. p. 1 ^ (1 8 5 0 ), Eeieh. Handb. Alced^, p. 5, t. ^ccxcv, fig. 8054-55 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale.
Pliil. Mus. p. 4 (1852), Hartl. Journ. f. Om. 1854, p. 3, id. Orn. Westaf' r . p. 3" 4■ (1857)I,, MMbü"ll. Joum. f. Ora. 1855.
p. 8, Heugl. Sitz. Akad. Wien, 1856, p. 271, Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II. p. 143 (1860), Hartl. Journ. f.
&'rn. 1861, p. 105, ScM. Mus. Pays, Bas. Alced. p. 10 (1863), Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, 332, Layard, Birds of
S. Afr. p. 65 (1867). Alcedo azxireus, Puch. Eev. et Mag. de Zool. 1858, p. 385.