260 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LlNNEAN SOCIETY 



I have examined several specimens obtained by Broadbent, 

 and find all these distinctions constant. This species which 

 otherwise resembles T. sylvia, may at once be distingaished from 

 it by the much lighter colouring of the under surface, and the 

 very different tint of blue of the wings, head, and tail, which has 

 a greenish tinge ; it is moreover, altogether a smaller bird. The 

 centre tail feathers, when fully grown are very much longer, 

 attaining the length of 10 -3 inches, the webs are also broader 

 and do not taper so much as in T. sylvia. 



Total length from bill to oil gland, 4-2 ; two centre tail 

 feathers from oil gland, from 8 in. to 10"3 in. ; wing, 3'6 to 3*6 

 in. ; tarsus, 0*55 ; bill from forehead, 1.25, width at nostril, 

 0-35, height, 0-37. 



Morton reports having once met with this species some 50 

 miles inland from Port Moresby, its note differs from that of T. 

 sylvia. The specimens are from Broadbent's collection. 



41. — Syma torotoro. Less. Voy. Coq. Atlas pi. 31 bis, f. 1 (1826^. 

 The saw-billed kingfisher of New Guinea has been usually 

 identified with the yellow-billed kingfisher from Cape York, (S. 

 flavirosiris) , and indeed I am by no means certain that this view 

 of the case is not the correct one. Mr. R. B. Sharpe in his very 

 excellent monograph, on the Alcedinidse, has endeavoured to show 

 that they are distinct, but I do not consider that the slight differ- 

 ences, which certainly do exist between the New Guinea and 

 Australian birds, are sufficient to separate them into distinct 

 species. I have lately examined a large series of both the 

 Australian and New Guinea birds, the latter from the South 

 East Coast. I find in the males of the New Guinea specimens, 

 the under surface of the tail feathers, blackish brown, and the 

 half collar round the back of the neck is divided in the middle, 

 by a patch of ivhite in some ; in the females, the crown of the 

 head only is black, as pointed out by Mr. Sharpe, and all have a 

 mixture of white in the middle of the collar. 



In habits and actions, Syma torotoro resemble the land and 

 not the water loving sections of the Alcedinidce. They are found 

 in the most dense parts of the scrub, and live on insects and 



