A REVISION OF THE SUBSPECIES OF THE WHITE- 

 COLLARED KINGFISHER, SAUROPATIS 

 CHLORIS (BODDAERT). 



By Harrf C. Oberholser, 



Of the Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture. 



The present revision of the races of Sauropatis chloris is based 

 primarily on the collection of the United States National Museum, 

 chiefly specimens contributed by Dr. W. L. Abbott. In addition, 

 the writer is indebted for the loan of material to the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, through Dr. Witmer Stone; the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Massachusetts, 

 through Mr. Outram Bangs ; the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory, through Dr. F. M. Chapman ; and also to Mr. J. H. Fleming, of 

 Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 



The total number of specimens examined is 386, representing very 

 satisfactorily most of the recognizable subspecies. Several of the 

 races, apparently valid, it has not been possible to verify, but we 

 have, however, included these for the sake of completeness. 



The names of colors of which use is here made are based on Mr. 

 Ridgway's "Color Standards and Color Nomenclature." Measure- 

 ments are all in millimeters, and have been taken as explained in the 

 author's paper on Butorides virescens} By far the greater part of 

 the specimens examined will be found duly entered in the tables of 

 measurements ; in fact, JSauropatis chlorh coUaris is the only form of 

 which practically all are not so listed. Furthernmre, those not used 

 in the diagnostic measurement averages are indicated. 



The literature pertaining to Sauropatis chlons is not so extensive 

 as would be expected for so well-known and difficult a group. The 

 most important references are: 



Blanford, W. T.— The Fauna of British India, Birds, vol. 3, 1895, pp. 135-137. 

 Sharpe, R. B.— Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum, vol. 17, 1892, 



pp. 272-283. 

 Habtebt, Ebnst.— Novitates Zoologicae, vol. 11, No 1, March 25, 1904, pp. 



197-199. 



This species is commonly placed in the genus Halcyon Swainson, 

 but it is without doubt to be segregated from that group, as already 



1 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 42, 1912, ^ 533. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum. Vol. 55— No. 2276. 



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