( 151 ; 



1 ? labelled as follows : — "Genus alcedo nov. spec. Cyclotyx rex Sharjie (sic) 

 (? (sic). Nonv. Guin6o." 



This skiu is in the typical preparation of tlie Dutch New Guinea liird-liuiiters, 

 and agrees most with skins from Tana Mera on the north coast. As tiiese hunters 

 never collect in the British or German possessions, we have little doubt that this 

 bird came from the north coast between the Ambernoh River and Humboldt Bay. 



18. Dacelo leachii intermedia Salvad. 



Of this form, whicli is very close to D. I. cerrina, we have only one female, 

 collected by Lix at Nicura in Southern British New Guinea. It is almost devoid of 

 dark bars below, very dark brown on the back, and bright pale blue on the rump 

 and wing coverts. The longitudinal blackish streaks on the pileum are very broad 

 and conspicuous. The bill in this specimen is gigantic and bigger than in any of 

 our Australian specimens, and than the measurements of the specimens in the 

 British Museum. The culmen from the forehead is SO mm. long, while Dr. Sharpe 

 gives only 77 mm. 



19. Sauromarptis gaudichaud (Qnoy et Gaim.). 



Cf. Nov. ZooL. III. (1890) pp. 17, 535. 



This remarkable Kingfisher is evidently very common all over New Guinea. 

 We have now before us a good series of 88 skins. We have tried very hard to 

 separate them into local forms, but without success. We have come to the following 

 conclusions : — 



1. The contention.s of Dr. Sharjie tliat the adult male has a blue tail, the female 

 a chestnut rufous tail, are quite correct. Although Count Salvadori had before him 

 a larger series (98 specimens), when he wrote his Oi-n. Pap., a great number of his 

 specimens were sexed by Bruijn's native hunters, who are not reliable with regard 

 to the determination of the sex — a thing in which, unfortunately, even many 

 European collectors are unrelialile. 



2. The young birds differ from the adults in having the u])])er bill black, the 

 collar and sides of the neck darker rusty buff, the blue on the wings a shade paler. 

 The young female has the tail chestnut rufous like the adult female, lint the young 

 male has the tail blue at base, more or less widely tipped with chestnut. The 

 dusky margins to the feathers of the hindneck and chest are not evident on all 

 young birds. Although consjiicuous in all the rest, they are alisent in the youngest 

 of all. 



3. We have observed the following variations, none of which a])2)ear8 to be 

 sufficiently localised to justify the separation of subspecies. 



The bill varies much in size. The majority of the Am liirds liave rather 

 large bills, but some of them have very small ones, while tlie largest bill in our 

 series is that of a Ron Island male. 



The white patch behind the eye varies much in extent ; sometimes it is almost 

 concealed, sometimes well developed. The white spots on the nape also are 

 sometimes quite obsolete, sometimes very conspicuous. 



The whitish collar is sometimes pnre white, sometimes rather dark rusty buff. 

 Tiie latter tint is as a rule due to immaturity, l)Ut it is also coiLspicuoiis in some old 

 birds in fresh plumage. 



There is sometimes a shade or some very small spots of blue behind the eye, 



