| OCR Text |
Show 1869] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE GENUS CEYX. 509 in C. tridactyla. Lower parts orange-yellow; chin white. This bird was supposed by Pallas, in his 'Spicilegia Zoologica' (part 6, p. 13), to be the female of C. tridactyla. It is figured by Messrs. Jardine and Selby, in the 'Illustrations of Zoology' (ser. 1, pl. 55, fig. 2), as C. tridactyla." In the type, as in all other specimens of C. rufidorsa which I have examined, I have never seen any auricular blue spot; and I consider that, considering this character is clearly designated in Strickland's description, and the scapularies are not distinctly stated to be rufous (in which case the reader would infer that they did not differ from C. tridactyla), it was not wonderful if we supposed Lord Walden's specimen (from Malacca, whence Strickland's type came) must be the true C. rufidorsa. The only point which prevents it agreeing with Strickland's diagnosis is that the centre of the back of the Malaccan specimen has a trace of black, and on one feather a blue lustre is apparent. The greater portion of the back, however, is rufous. Believing that I had been misled in my former paper, I asked and obtained Lord Walden's permission to send over the Malaccan specimen, along with the type of m y C. dillwynni and all m y other Ceyces, to Count Salvadori, in order that he might be able to examine the whole quostion for himself and correct the mistake. My friend agreed with me in m y conclusions ; and shortly after appeared his paper in the 'Atti' of the Turin Natural-History Society, on which I desire to make a few remarks. The species admitted by Count Salvadori and by myself are as follows : - 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. Salvadori. Ceyx melanura, Kaup. tridactyla (Pall.). rufidorsa, Strickl. dillwynni, Sharpe. sharpii, Salv. innominata, Salv. cajeli, Wall. wallacii, Sharpe. leqnda, Temm. solitaria, Temm. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Sharpe. Ceyx melanura, Kaup. tridactyla (Pall.). rufidorsa, Strickl. dilwynni, Sharpe. cajeli, Wall. wallacii, Sharpe. lepida, Temm. europygialis, Gray. philippinensis, Gould. solitaria, Temm. It will thus be seen that Count Salvadori admits the same number of species as myself, but arrives at this conclusion in a different manner. C. melanura, C. tridactyla, C. dillwynni, C. cajeli, C. wallacii, C. lepida, and C. solitaria are admitted by both of us to be clearly characterized species. His C. rufidorsa is Lord Walden's Malacca bird; and C. sharpii, is a new species from Borneo, which he did m e the honour to name after me. Ceyx innominata of Salvadori = C . rufidorsa, auct., and of my paper. He also unites C. uropygialis to C. lepida, a point on which I am inclined to agree with him ; and, lastly, he refers C. phitijjpinensis to the genus Alcyone. On this subject I have already expressed myself in my |
