16. HALCYON. 275 



z.-b. Ges. Wie», xxxii. p. 421 (1883 : Amboiua) ; Kutter, J. f. O. 

 1883, p. 301 (Sibulan) ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1883, p. 200 ; Meyer, ZeitscJir. 

 ges. Om. i. p. 276 (1884 : Aru) ; id. Sitz. u. Abhandl. Ges. ' Isis ' 

 Dresden, 1884, p. 10 (Babbar, Letti) ; Forbes, P. Z. S. 1884, p. 4S2 

 (Timor Laut) ; Pleske, Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. xxix. p. 256 (1884 : 

 Temate) ; Gul/lem. P. Z. S. 1885, p. 256 (Sulii), p. 502 (Sumbawa), 

 p. 547 (Celebes), p. 568 (Batcliian, Obi) ; Vordervi. Tijdschr. 

 Nederl. Ind. xlvi. p. 1 (1886: W. Java), p. 11 (Borneo) ; Blasius, 

 Zeitschr. ges. Orn. iii. p. 90 (1886) ; id. Ornis, iv. p. 307 (Palawan), 

 p. 573 (1888 : Great Sangbir) ; Salvad. Aqg. Orn. Papuasia, i. p. 67 

 (1889) : Vordenn. Xat. Tijdschr. Ncderl. Indie, 1. Afl. 4, p. 439 

 (1890 : Billiton). 



Adult male. General colour above bright greeu on the mantle, 

 upper back, and scapulars : the lower back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts being- bright cobalt-blue ; wing-coverts shining cobalt-blue ; 

 the greater series, as weU as the external aspect of the quills, deep 

 ultramarine, the rest of the quills blackish ; tail ultramarinc-blue ; 

 crown of head bluish green, lighter blue on the ej'cbrow ; a large 

 concealed spot of white on the occiput ; lores black, surmounted bj' 

 a spot of white ; lower edge of eyelid white ; above the eye a few 

 white feathers ; ear-coverts black, slightly washed with bluish green 

 on the anterior and lower portions ; sides of neck and a broad collar 

 round the hind neck white, separated from the crown by a narrow 

 collar of black ; cheeks and under surface of body pure white, in- 

 cluding the under wing-coverts and axillaries : " bill black ; feet 

 dark brown ; iris brown " {A. H. Everett). Total length 9-3 inches, 

 culmen 2, wing 4, tail 2*7, tarsus O'o. 



Adult femcde. Similar to the male in colour. Total length 8'7 

 inches, culmen 2-1, wing 4-1, tail 2"5, tarsus U"5. 



Under the heading of II. cJdoris I have retained Indo-Malayan 

 and Moluccan specimens, but I am not yet satisfied that they are 

 all strictly identical. I have not, however, been able to draw the 

 lino between some of these races, for some have green ear-coverts 

 and ajjproach H. armstrongi of Siam and Tcnasserim, whereas others, 

 especially those from some of the Molucca Islands, have black ear- 

 coverts joining a very broad black nape-band. The females and 

 young birds appear to have invariably blacker ear-coverts than the 

 adult males. Some Javan specimens have a tolerably distinct 

 superciliary line of white. 



Eah. From Sumatra and Java to the rhilippincs, thence to the 

 Moluccas. 



