198 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



In his original description Latham states that his bird has " under the 

 blue beneath the eye, a narrow orange ferruginous stripe." This 

 marking is not found in the present species; and Von Pelzeln (Ibis, 

 1873, p. 19) who has examined Latham's type says that this marking 

 is not indicated save for a slight tinge of yellowish under the auricular 

 region. Latham states that his Sacred kingfisher inhabited Otaheite 

 and the other Society Islands, an obvious error, as the species is not 

 known save from the Tonga and Fiji groups. 



Four specimens (three skins and one bird in alcohol) upon which 

 this form is based were taken at Eua, Tonga Islands, on 28 November. 



49. Sauropatis sacra celada, subsp. nov. 



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

 more greenish above, especially on the crown; malar stripe with 

 little or no black indicated save at its posterior margin. 



Type — V.S.N. M. 212,M7. Male. Polynesia: Tonga Islands; 

 Vavau, 4 December, 1899. C. H. Townsend. 



Description. — Crown, band on hind neck, back, scapulars, and 

 tertials capri-blue; upper tail coverts bremen-blue; first primary, 

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

 blackish; outer webs of primaries (save first), greater wing coverts, 

 and upper side of rectrices dark chessylite-blue ; lesser and middle 

 wing coverts china-blue; superciliary stripe white, mixed more or 

 less with ochraceous buff, the stripes from either side meeting on back 

 of head; lores black mixed with white, the black glossed with blue; 

 malar stripe Blanc's blue; spot on lower eyelid, and entire under parts 

 white; anterior side of tibia Blanc's blue, the feathers blackish basally. 



Measurements. — Males (three specimens), wing 101-102.5 (101.8); 

 tail 70.5-73 (72.0); culnien from base 41-42 (41.6); tarsus 16-16.5 

 (16.1). 



Female (one specimen), wing 106.0, tail 76.5, culmen from base 45, 

 tarsus 17. 



Range. — Island of Vavau, Tonga group. 



Remarks. — Four specimens of this form were taken at Vavau, 

 Tonga Islands, 4 December. One bird, a male, nearly adult, is 

 somewhat darker than the other two but is distinguishable from S. s. 

 sacra. All of the males have more or less of buffy in the superciliary 

 stripe a character which as has been noted above seems to be an indi- 

 cation of immaturity in this species, though this buffy color is less in 



