268 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



33. — SCYTHROPS NOVJl-HOLLANDIiE, Lath. 



Salvad. and D^Alb. op. cit. VII. ^ p. 813 ; Sharpe t. c. p. 492. 

 Generally distributed over the whole of the South East Coast. 



34. — Centropus spilopterus, Gray. 



This species is always more or less plentiful about Port 

 Moresby. Mr. Goldie obtained several specimens in various 

 stages of plumage during his first expedition. The fully adult 

 males become almost entirely black. 



35. — Centropus menbekii, Less. 

 1 noticed a fine adult specimen of this species in Mr. Goldie's 

 Collection collected by Mr. Blunden, and another very interesting 

 specimen obtained by Morton exhibits the change of plumage 

 from the young to the adult. 



They were found to be rare in the Port Moresby district ; the 

 few obtained being shot on the Laloki River, about 15 miles 

 inland. 



Family ALCEDINID^. 



36.— Alcyone affinis, Gray, P.Z.S., I860, p. 348. 



I should have referred the larger blue-backed Alcyones, from 

 the Laloki River to Alcyone pidchra, were it not for their long 

 and stout bills ; the blue patch on the side of the chest is con- 

 fined to that region, and does not extend on to the flanks ; it has, 

 moreover, no lilac tinge whatever. 



Total length, 6'4 in. ; wing, 3*1 in. ; tail, 1*3 in. ; tarsus, 0*4 in. ; 

 bill from forehead, 2 in. to 2'2 in. ; from gape, 2'2 in. to 2*3 in. ; 

 depth, 0-4 to 0-44 in. 



All the specimens were obtained in the scrubs on the river 

 side. I must admit I do not see the difference between the 

 present sp. and A. lessoni (Cass). 



37.— Alcyone pusilla, Temm., PL Gol. 595,/. 3. (1836). 



I believe this species to be the smallest of all known King- 

 fishers, and although they may be far from rare in any district 

 frequented by them, they are always very difficult to obtain ; 

 their flght is swift and arrow-like, dashing past like a flash, 

 just over the surface of the water, in the most dense and secluded 



