624 K I N G S F I S H E R .
Place. This fpecies inhabits Apye, one of the Friendly IJles, where it is
held as facred among the natives as that of Otaheite.
14.
RESPECTED
K.
D escription. g I Z E of our common Kingsfilher : length eight inches and a
half. Bill depreffed, black, and an inch and a half in length ;
the lower mandible white : the upper parts of the body olive-
green : over the eye a white ftreak : round the neck a collar of
greenifh black : the under parts of the body white : tail longifh
legs black.
Place. Inhabits Otaheite, where it is called Erooro. It is accounted
facred *, and not allowed to be taken nor killed.
gA >
BLACK-
.. CAPPED
K.
Le Martin-pêcheur à coiffe noire, Buf. oif. vii. p. 189.
Martin-pêcheur de là Chine, PI. enl. 673.
DESCRIPTION. n p H I S bird is ten inches in length. The bill is large, and of
A a bright red : the head' and hind part of the neck are black :
* The whole of the birds defcribed under this and the two former numbers,
are held in à kind of fuperftitious veneration by the natives of the places they
feverally inhabit, perhaps on account of their being frequently feen flying about
the Morais or burial-places ; See Parkitifon's Journ. p. 70. But the Kingsjijher is
not the only animal held facred by thofe iflanders, as Herons, Rats, and Flies enter
the fame lift; See Park- Journ. Errât, p. 22. F o r jl. Voy. i. J>. 519. Women and
children, I have been informed, were moft afraid of doing injury to the Kings-
fijhers ; yet all perfons, it is plain, did not mind it, for feme of the natives were
ready to point them out for our people to (hoot at ; Forjl. Voy. i. p. 378. I fancy,
therefore, the whole was no more than what is paid by tender minds to the
Robin and Wren in England, only carried to a greater extreme.
the
the back, the tail, and middle of the wings, are of a deep glofiy violet
blue : the fhoulders and ends of the wings are black : the throat,
fore part of the neck, and breaft, are white, and encircling the neck
at the lower part, near the back: the belly is of a pale rufouscolour
: legs pale red.
Inhabits China.. P lace*
Martin-pSchear deLTfleEeLujon, Sen. Poy. p. 63. t. 31. 1 f t
Var. A.
^ O N N E R J T deferibes this of a fize lefs than a Blackbird; and
fays, that the bill - is large, and the legs fmall, as in other
Kingsfijhers. The top of the head, and hind part of the neck, are
brown ; this colour furrounds the eye, and paffes below it on each
fide, to the middle of the upper mandible : from the noftrils to
the eye is a whitilh ftripe: the upper parts and middle of the back
are brown : rump and upper tail coverts glofiy Iky-blue : the tail
deep blue: the wing coverts are brown like the head: quills
blackilh-blue in the middle, and dull black at the ends: the throat,
fore part of the neck, breaft, belly, and under tail coverts, are
white; in the middle of each feather is a longitudinal brown
ftreak : on the lower part of the neck the white paffes behind,
forming a kind of collar : we are not told of what colour
the legs are; nor is that of the bill mentioned.
D escription.
Inhabits the ifie of Luzmia.
Place,
4 L lhevv:i