Volume Iii Part 12 (1/2)

I cannot reconcile this with any one species described by Fabricius; at the a.n.a.l angle of the lower wings, is a pale greyish spot, with two short blackish lines: I have named it in honour of that laborious and eminent zoologist, Dr. Leach; who presented me with the specimen here figured.

The upper figure is of _Sphinx Leachii_, and the under of _S. fasciata_.

Pl. 151

[Ill.u.s.tration]

ALCEDO semitorquata,

_Half-collared Kingsfisher._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 26.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_A. caeruleo-viridis, infra ochracea; capite cyaneo, lineis nigris transversis ornato; dorso nitide caeruleo; pectore torque caeruleo-viridi interrupto insigni._

Bluish green, beneath buff colour; head blue, with transverse black lines; back s.h.i.+ning light blue; breast with an interrupted blue-green collar.

In a small collection of birds, procured on the borders of the Great Fish River of the Cape, I met with this new and elegant Kingsfisher. I was fortunate in detecting in the same parcel several other unknown and interesting birds; which I hope to record and ill.u.s.trate in this work, particularly as they have since been sent to a foreign museum. This species considerably exceeds the size of the Asiatic Kingsfisher, being nearly eight inches and a half long: the bill is black, two inches from the gape, and one and three quarters from the base of the nostrils: head blue, the crown crossed by dusky black lines; hind head somewhat crested, the sides deep and rich mazarine blue; ears and sides of the neck greenish blue, the latter having a stripe of white; the blue on the sides of the neck advances on the breast in the shape of a half-formed collar: wings and scapula covers bluish green, with lighter spots on the tip of each of the wing covers; down the back is a stripe of vivid light blue, similar to the common Kingsfisher: tail dark-blue, edged with greenish, the base black.

The plumage beneath, from the chin to the end of the throat, white; changing on the breast to pale fawn colour, which deepens to ferruginous on the body, under tail covers, and thighs: legs red: between the bill and eye a dusky white line.

Pl. 152

[Ill.u.s.tration]

ACHATINA melastoma,

_Black-mouthed Achatina._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 30.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_A. testa strigis longitudinalibus, nebulosis, purpureis ornata; spira elongata; labio exteriore castaneo-nigro; columella cra.s.sa, gibba; basi integra._