(427 ) 



19. Poephila leucotis .T. Oonld. 



Two fine wales of this rare species shot on 20. 6. 1808. " Iris reddish brown, 

 feet bright red, bill light yellow." 



20. Aeg^intha temporalis (Lath.). 



Three males have the wing abont 2 mm. sliorter than other s]ieciraeus and the 

 back rather more golden. Comparison of a larj^er material will probably justify 

 the separation of the Cape York bird as a subspecies. 



21. Bathilda ruficauda clarescens snbsj). uov. 



An adult male, Cape York 14. 6. 1898, is smaller than all examples in our 

 collection, the red extends nearly over the whole crown, encircles the eye, and 

 extends further down on the throat, and the abdomen is rather bright yellow. 

 " Iris light red, feet dirty yellow, bill dark red." 



Wing 50, tail 45 mm. 



22. Alcyone azurea pulchra (J. Gould). 



The collection contains a very fine series of this Kingfisher. I agree with Dr. 

 Sharpe, who, in Cat. B. Brit. Miis. v. 17 p. 169, calls it a subspecies of A. azurea, 

 but the characters and the distribution of the two forms, as given in the Cat. B., 

 are not very clear. The deeper and brighter cinnamon or bay colour of the under 

 surface is not a character to distinguish this form with any certainty, for a niunber 

 of those before me (either younger birds or individuals in older, more faded 

 plumage) are paler than any A. azurea azurea I ever saw. The richer and more 

 purplish blue colour of the upperside is generally apparent enough, but sometimes 

 difficult to see. Another character, however, is not mentioned by Sharpe, viz., the 

 smaller size, especially the shorter bill of jmlchra. The bill in .4. a. azurea, is 

 about 46 — 49 mm. (exposed part of culmen measured), the wing 75 — 79. In 

 A. a. palekra. these measurements are : exposed culmen : 42—44, wing 72 — 74 mm. 

 The flanks are more suffused with lilac in A. a. jjulckra, and the blue purplish 

 extends sometimes along the flanks, but by no means always. 



If A. a. pulchra is the northern representative of A. azurea azurea, then 

 Sharpe's specimens x,y, z, «,', and i',in the list of specimens oi azurea, must belong' 

 to pulchra, and I think they do so undoubtedly. " The iris is dark brown, feet bright 

 red, bill black, whitish at the utmost tip." 



23. Alcyone pusilla J. Gould, 

 c? : " Iris dark brown, feet dark smoky brown, bill black." 



24. Syma flavirostris J. Gould. 



Vonx females and one male. This species (or subspecies) difiers from S. torotoro 

 in being paler and more greenish on the back and wings, and having invariably 

 a black mark along the anterior half of the culmen. The underside is rather pale, 

 throat and middle of abdomen sometimes ipite white. I have already on a former 



