Malachite kingfisher Malachite kingfisher The malachite kingfisher ("Corythornis cristatus") is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements. The malachite kingfisher was described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name "Alcedo cristata". The specific epithet "cristata" is from the Latin "cristatus" meaning "crested" or "plumed". The adjective "malachite" in the vernacular name normally refers to the dark green colour of the copper containing mineral. This kingfisher has blue upperparts but has black banding with pale blue or greenish-blue on its forehead.
Italian submarine Malachite of operations, she was attacked by an aircraft but the attack was beaten back with her anti-aircraft weapons. During the night January 27 1941 she patrolled in the Strait of Messina. From 9 to 18 February 1941 "Malachite" patrolled off Bardia. On February 14 she attempted an attack on an unidentified warship, but fails to launch torpedoes due to the high speed of the target. From 15 to 22 March 1941 she was deployed in the Kythira Strait. On the night of March 19, "Malachite" sighted a cruiser escorted by several destroyers. At 01:19 she launched two torpedoes but they