TOWNSEND AND WETMORE : THE BIRDS. 197 



(Austr. avian record, 1912, 1, p. 107) in recognizing the genus Sauro- 

 patis of Cabanis and Heine. In that species the tenth primary is 

 longer than the seventh and in Halcyon senegalensis, which is also 

 figured by Mathews, the tenth primary is considerably shorter than 

 the fifth. In the form of its bill Sauropatis sacra agrees closely with 

 »S. sanctm. 



48. Sauropatis sacra rabulata, subsp. nov. 



Characters. — Similar to Sauropatis sacra sacra (Gmelin) but darker, 

 less greenish above, especially on head and rump. 



Te/pe.— U. S. N. M. 212,343. Male. Polynesia: Tonga Islands; 

 Eua, 28 November, 1899. C. H. Townsend. 



Description. — Crown and collar on hind neck dusky greenish blue; 

 back, scapulars, tertials, and inner secondaries chessylite-blue; rump 

 near motmot-blue; lesser and middle wing coverts Blanc's blue, the 

 feathers edged more or less with Mathews's blue; first primary, tips 

 and inner webs of other primaries, and under side of rectrices dull 

 black; greater wing coverts, outer webs of primaries (except the 

 first) and upper side of rectrices dusky greenish blue; superciliary 

 stripe white mixed with cinnamon-bufF; behind the eye this stripe is 

 entirely cinnamon-buff, is broadened and unites with its fellow from 

 the opposite side ; malar stripe, extending from gape to unite with blue 

 stripe on hind neck, chessylite-blue, the feathers black underneath 

 so that the two colors are mixed; lores and a narrow line under eye 

 black; a very narrow line of chessylite-blue over eye; spot on lower 

 eyelid, collar on hind neck, and entire under parts white; anterior side 

 of tibia blackish, with capri-blue tips on a few feathers. 



Measurements. — Males (two specimens), wing 100-101; tail 69-70; 

 culmen from base 41^2.5; tarsus^ 15-15.3. 



Female (one specimen) wing 104. tail 73.5, culmen from base 44, 

 tarsus 16.5. 



Range. — Island of Eua, Tonga Group. 



Remarks. — The superciliary stripe in fully adult birds is white 

 (as is shown by a female specimen) so that the type is hot quite in 

 full plumage. Adults and young after their first molt seem to differ 

 in no o+her way. 



The Alcedo sacra of Gmelin (Syst. nat., 1788, i, pt. 1. p. 453) is 

 based upon the Sacred Kingfisher of Latham (Gen. syn. birds, 1782, 

 1, pt. 2, p. 621) who described the bird from the Leverian Museum. 



