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Show 1896.1 ON THE ANATOMY OF THE KINGFISHERS. 603 Distribidion.-These two subspecies seem to be distributed, roughly speaking, in the manner stated by D e Selys-Longchamps in 1847, in fact it would be impossible to add to or correct what he has said on this point without examining more specimens than are at present available. The fact that the two French specimens which I have been able to examine are of the neglectus form is very interesting and confirms D e Selys-Longchamps's statements. There are no German specimens in the British Museum collection, but Dehne1 has stated that M. agrestis neglectus occurs fairly commonly in Saxony, near Penig and Lossnitz, while Fatio found it in the Hash Thai, in Switzerland. To show the differences in size between the two races, I give the dimensions (see pp. 600, 601). The measurements are taken from the ten largest British specimens I could lay hands upon, and I have added to them those of the only two French specimens which were available. In all cases, except those of Mr.Bonhote's specimens, the measurements of the tails were taken so as not to include the last hairs. The specimens kindly collected for m e by Messrs. Coward and Caton Haigh were measured by Mr. F. Metcalfe of Cambridge; the dimensions of the remainder were taken by the collectors. It will be seen that the length of an average British specimen runa to about 106 millimetres, while anything above that must be regarded as large. The two largest British specimens I have been able to examine are m y own no. 47, sent m e by M r . Coward from Cheshire, and Mr. de Winton's no. W . 86 from Herefordshire. These two somewhat approach the younger Norway specimens in size and characters, and these are the only two that do so out of numerous specimens examined. 3. Contributions to the Anatomy of Picarian Birds.- Part III. O n some Points ia the Anatomy of the Kingfishers. By F R A N K E. B E D D A R D , M.A., F.R.S., Prosector to the Society. [Eeceived May 18, 1896.] The family Alcedinidse shows more structural variation within its own limits than any other family of Picarian Birds. The first to call attention to this was Prof. Grarrod, who remarked in describing2 the tensores patagii of various Passerine and Picarian Birds-" In the Alcedinidse the differences are so considerable in the several genera that I reserve the description of the muscle in this order for a future occasion." Again, in referring to the course of the leg-veins he pointed out the abnormal con- 1 A. Dehne in ' Allgemeine deutsche naturhistorische Zeitung,' new series, vol. ii. pp. 212 and 223 (1856). 2 " On some Anatomical Peculiarities which bear upon the Major Divisions of the Passerine Birds.-Pt. I.," P. Z. S. 1877, p. 512. 3 9* |