6. CErx. 181 



i. p. 94, no. 1141 (1869) ; Salvacl. Atti R. Acmd. Torino, iv. p. 453 

 (1869); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 511; Ticeedd. Trans. Z. S. ix. 

 p. 153 (1875); Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 1884, p. 332 (Manila), 

 1886, p. 156 ; Steere, List Birds ^ Mamm. Sf.eere Exped. Philipj). 

 p. 9 (1890). 



Dacelo melanura, Schleyel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Alced, p. 49 (1863). 



Cejx samarensis, Steere, List Birds ^y Mamm. Steere Kiped. Philipp. 

 p. 10 (I890j. 



? C'eyx platenaj, Blasius, J.f. O. 1890, p. 148. 



Adult. General colour above lilac-rufous, washed wilb lilac ; edge 

 of wing rufous ; scapulars rufous like the back, with a broad band 

 of black oil each side of the mantle ; wing-coverts black, spotted 

 minutely with bright blue ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and 

 quills black ; tail-feathers rufous like the back, the lateral ones 

 blackish ; crown of head lilac-rufous, with faint but distinct spots 

 of brighter lilac ; lores pale orange ; eyelid and a mark in front of 

 the eye blackish ; sides of taee, ear-coverts, and cheeks lilac- rufous, 

 succeeded by a band of white on the sides of the neck, above which 

 is a spot of bright blue : throat white ; fore neck, breast, sides of 

 budy, and flanks bright lilac-rufous ; abdomen white ; thighs and 

 under tail-coverts rufous, as well as the under wing-coverts and 

 axillarics and the inner edge of the quills. Total length 5 inches, 

 culmen 1*2, wing 2-1, tail Uw, tarsus U-35. 



Young. Exactly similar to the adults, but with a shorter and 

 paler bill, the latter being horny whitish. 



Hah. Philippine Archipelago. 



Mr. Moseley showed me a specimen of Ceyx samarensis of Steere, 

 and I could not perceive the slightest specific difference between it 

 and a Manila specimen. Professor \V. Blasius has also described a 

 Ceyx pVitfmK from Mindanao (J. f. 0. 1890, p. 14S), which does 

 not seem to me to differ from C. melanura in any important 

 particular. 



a. .Tuv. sk. Philippine Islands (If. Cuming : TweeJdale Coll. 



Sharpe Coll.). 



b. Ad. sk. Philippine Islands {Sharpe Cull.). Tweeddale Coll. 



c. d. Ad. sk. Manila. Gould Coll. 

 e,f. Ad. sk. Mauila {Maitland-Heriot). Tweeddale Coll. 



6. Ceyx basilanica *. 



Ceyx basilanica, Steere, List Birds Sf Mamm. Steere Exped. PhUipp. 

 p. 10 (1890). 



* Ceyx mindanensis. 



Ceyx mindaneusis, Steere, List Birds if- Muaim. Steere E.ipe I. I'hili p. p. 10 

 (,18'JO). 



The description of this sper-ies shows that it must be very clcselv allied to 

 C. melanura. and in that of t'. basilanica we read : " White spot on side of neck 

 not preceded hy the liluc and Ijlacic markings found in the preceding sjyecies " 

 (i. e. C. mindanensis). I haTe been unable to identity the spec-ies. 



