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Show 598 MR. R. H. SHARPE ON THE GENUS CEYX. [Nov. 26, Ceyx meninting, Lesson, Voy. Coq. i. p. 691 (1826) ; id. Traite d'Orn. p. 241 (1831). C. rostro nigro : capite cyaneo fasciato : omnino minor: pectore et abdomine flavidis: gula alba. Hab. in Nova Guinea et in insulis adjacentibus. Head and nape black, banded with bright ultramarine ; back and scapularies rich ultramarine ; cheeks and wing-coverts black, spotted with bright ultramarine ; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web fuscous from the base, the secondaries narrowly edged with blue ; tail black, edged with blue ; throat white ; a spot in front of the eye and a longitudinal patch of feathers on the sides of the neck yellowish white ; entire under surface light orange ; bill entirely black; feet orange. Totallength 5 inches, of bill from front 1*3, from gape 1*6, wing 2*1, tail 0*8, tarsus 0*2, middle toe 0*4, hind toe 0*2. Hab. New Guinea (Wallace), Aru Islands (Wallace), Ceram (3Ius. Lugcli), Mysol (Wallace). The only evidence of the appearance of this species in Ceram is an example in the Leyden Museum, said to have come from that island. Mr. Wallace, whose personal acquaintance with the ornithology of the Moluccas renders him the best authority on the subject, is inclined to doubt the occurrence of the bird in that locality. I append a few notes on the geographical distribution of the genus Ceyx. It will be seen by the table at the end of the present paper that representatives of the genus are found in both the Indian and Australian regions. The four rufous-backed species, however, are almost entirely confined to the former, while the blue-backed species are, on the other hand, with one exception, exclusively inhabitants of the Australian region. In the Philippine Islands one species of each section is met with. Ceyx tridactyla enjoys the most extended geographical range; for it is found all over India, and extends down the Malayan peninsula as far as the island of Java. At Malacca it meets with Ceyx rufidorsa, which is distributed over the Indo-Malayan Islands and extends a little way into the Austro-Malayan subregion, being found in Lombock, Sumbawa, and Flores. This species is also found in Borneo, and in Labuan the new species Ceyx dillwynni is met with. As far as we know, the latter bird is exclusively confined to this island. In the Philippines we find Ceyx melanura. This bird is certainly the link connecting the two sections together, as the lilac spots on the head exhibit a tendency towards the blue-backed species of the genus. With the exception of C. philippinensis, all the other blue-backed species are confined to the Australian region. Ceyx wallacii is apparently confined to the Sula Islands, and Ceyx cajeli to Bouru. C. uropygialis may be said to be confined to Batchian, Gilolo, and Ternate, though I hear that in the Leyden Museum there are specimens of a Ceyx from Morotai, which may ultimately prove to be of this species. Ceyx lepida seems to be most plentiful in Ceram and Amboyna, but is also found in N e w Guinea, though apparently |