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Show 1869.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE GENUS ALCYONE. 355 and in having the back of a much more brilliant blue than in the New-Guinea bird. The description and measurements are from a bird kindly lent m e by Mr. Wallace, and procured by him in Gilolo. 4. ALCYONE DIEMENSIS. Van Diemen's-Land Kingfisher. Alcyone diemensis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846, p. 19 ; id. Introd. Birds of Austr. p. 31 (1848); Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 82 (c. 1844) ; Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 18 (1848); Reich. Vog. Neuholl. p. 278 (1850); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 143 (1860); Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. i. p. 141 (1865). A. torque pectorali nullo: abdomine rufo: rostro tenuiore, breviore : pileo nigro indistincte fasciato. Hab. in Tasmania. Above deep blue, a little brighter on the rump, the head having the appearance of being indistinctly banded with dusky black; cheeks, ear-coverts, scapularies, and wing-coverts black washed with blue; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web light rufous from the base, the outer web distinctly washed with blue; tail blue above, black beneath ; a small loral spot, a patch of feathers along the sides Of the neck and the throat white tinged with rufous ; the whole of the under surface of the body deep rufous, with a very faint lilac lustre on the flanks ; a large patch of feathers on the sides of the upper part of the breast black, with a slight blue shine; bill black ; feet red. Total length 6 inches, of bill from front 1*4, from gape 1*9, wing 3*1, tail 1*35, tarsus 0*3, middle toe 0*55, hind toe 0*25. Hab. Tasmania (Gould). This species is rare in collections ; and I have only met with one specimen, which I purchased of Verreaux. It is allied to A. azurea, but is much smaller and not nearly so brightly coloured, while on the back, as Mr. Gould justly observes, there is a slight greenish tinge in some lights. There are also some obscure black bands on the head. The description and measurements are taken from the specimen in m y collection mentioned above. 5. A\LCYONE AZUREA. Azure Kingfisher. Alcedo azurea, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. ii. p. xxxii (1801); Swains. Zool. Illustr. 1st ser. pl. 26 (1820); Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, Alced. p. 17(1863). Ceyx azurea, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 106 (1826); Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn. ii. pl. 55. f. 1. Alcyone azurea, Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 82 (c. 1844); Gould, Birds of Austr. ii. pl. 25 (1848); id. Intr. to Birds of Austr. p. 31 (1848); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 65 (1848); Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 50 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 158 (1850); Reich. Vog. Neuholl.'p. 278 (1850); id. Handb. Alced. p. 7, t. 397. f. 3064, 3065 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852) ; Macgill. Voy. Rattl. ii. p. 356 (1852); Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Pelz. Voy. Novara Vog. p. 50 (1865); Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. i. p. 139 (1865). |
