no.1657. KINGFISHER GENV8 RAMPHALCYOb OBERHOLSER, gQ5 



Sharpe, when, in L870, he revised the species of the genus, and his 

 reasons for rejecting the name are merely trivial. He says: 



After carefully comparing a skin of the adull Javan hint with Brisson's 

 elaborate description, I believe thai bis "Ispida capitis bonce spei" was really 

 taken from a Javan specimen. Consequently the species stands primarily as 

 Alcedo capensis, Linn. Bui in the face of the manifesl incongruity of such an 

 appellation, I believe myself justified in proposing :i new name for tin- bird, 

 and I therefore take ( 1 u* opportunity <>f connecting with it the name of my 

 friend Mr. W. T. Fraser, * * *. 



The next year, in another place.'' he make-- the following remarks 

 on the same subject : 



* * * I proposed the name of Mr. W. T. Fraser for the presenl species 

 Instead of retaining the one which seems by righl to belong t<> the bird, viz.. 

 Alcedo capensis of Linnaeus, inasmuch as this name is founded <>n the "Ispida 

 capitis bona spei" of Brisson, and it' perpetuated could only lend additional 

 confusion as to the correel locality of the species. 



What Doctor Sharpe subsequently says about the difficulty of 

 identifying Daubenton's plate has n<> bearing on the question, for 

 this plate does not enter into the equation at all, since Linnaeus did 

 not mention it, although Doctor Sharpe. and some other writers as 

 well, seem to be under the impression that he did. It appears, there 

 fore, that Alcedo capt nsis Linnaeus has fully as dear a title as many 

 of the names now in common use, and should -land for the Javan 

 Ramphalcyon, since erroneous locality by no means debars a name. 

 The Javan bird should consequently be called Ramphalcyon capt nsis 

 capt nsis ( Linnaeus). 



The measurements above given were taken from the following 

 specimens: 



Museum and No. 



Q.S VM. 17 



. \i. 178994 

 A N. 8. Phila. 39093. 



A. N. S. Phil I 

 A. N. S. Phil 

 \. N. S. Phil i 



M. L80516 





I '1 



Locality. 



Iiiilrigiri River, Sum.it ra - 



do 



Qoenong Soegi, ! ■ 

 Sumal ra. 









Sept. 19,1901 

 Sept. 23,1901 

 Oct. Nov.,1901 



....do 



....do 



....do 



Tanjong Poctak, Billiton 



do 



• 



..1 



Collector. 



I)r. W. L. Abhott. 



Do. 

 Harrison and Hiller. 



Do. 

 Do. 

 Do 



I>r. \V. L. A.1 



RAMPHALCYON CAPENSIS JAVANA fBoddaert). 



Ucedo iavana Boddakbt, Tabl. Planch. Enl., its::, p. 17 ("Java;" locality 



wrong; Borneo is doubtless its country of origin). 

 Ucedo leucocephala Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I. i, 1788, p. 156 ("Java"). 

 Alcedo favanica Shaw, Gen. Zool., VIII, 1812, p. 67 ("Java"). 



Subspecific characters. -Similar to Ramphalcyon cap< nsis cap< nsis, 

 but pileum clear ochraceous wit hoi it admixture of brown; mantle Less 

 greenish blue. 



" Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1870, p. 66. 

 \iun. Alcedinidae, 1871, pp. 103-104. 

 cat. Birds Brit Mas.. XVII, 1892, p. 108 



