20. TANTSIPfERA. 307 



13. Tanysiptera obiensis. 



Tanysiptera dea, pt., SvhI. Ncderl. r>J(hchr. Dierk. iii. p. 272 (1866) ; 



id. Miis. Pays-Bas, Alced. Eevue, pp. 34, -38 (1874). 

 Tanysiptera obiensis, Scdmd. Ann. Mus. Genov. x. p. .302 (1877), 



xi'i. p. 318 (1878); id. Orn. Papuasia, i. p. 4.33 (1880). 



Adult female. General colour above black, with a strong wasb of 

 purplish blue, more distinct on the mantle than on the scairalars ; 

 lesser wing-coverts cobalt-blue, forming a bright shonldcr-patch ; 

 greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quiUs black, 

 externally purplish blue ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts 

 white, the centre ones edged with blue, the intermediate ones black 

 on the outer web, white on the inner one ; the lateral ones black, 

 washed with blue ; centre tail-feathers blue, •« ith a broad white 

 racket, and a slight edging of white about the middle of the inner 

 web, the remainder white, externally edged with blue, the outer 

 feather white with the external web blue ; crown of head bright 

 cobalt, each feather with a mesial streak of more brilliant blue, the 

 sides of the hinder crown and the nape very slightly brighter than 

 the crown ; lores, sides of face, and ear-coverts deep purplish blue ; 

 cheeks and under surface of body pure white, some of the flank- 

 feathers edged with black, producing a streaked appearance ; under 

 wing-coverts white, several edged with black ; edge of wing bright 

 blue. Total length 14 inches, culmen 1*65, wing 4-4, tail 4-6, 

 centre tail-feathers S"5, tarsus 0"6. 



Hah. Obi Islands, in the Moluccas. 



a. 5 ad. sk. Obi Lattou, Aug. 1862 Leyden Museum [E.]. 



(Bernstein). 



14. Tanysiptera galatea*. 



Tanysiptera dea {nee L.), Vigors, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiv. p. 433 (1825) ; 



Less. Traite, p. 245 (1831, pt.) ; id. Compl. Bvff.,Ois. p. 632 (1838); 



Sol. Journ. Proc. Linn. Soc. ii. p. 156 (1858) ; Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, 



p. 190 ; id. Cat. Mamm. ^- B. N. Guin. pp. 20, 55 (18.59) ; Eosenh. 



Nat. Tijdsrkr. Nederl. Ind. xxv. p. 230 (1863) ; id. J. f. O. 1864, 



p. 118; Srh/. Mus. Pai/s-Bas, Alced. Mevue, p. 34 (1874, pt.) ; 



D' Albert. Ibis, 1876, p. .359. 

 Alcedo dea (nee L.), Less. Toy. ' Coqiiille,' i. pt. 2, p. 697 (1828); 



id. Man. d'Orti. p. 91 (1828, pt.). 

 Dacelo dea {nee L.), S. Midi. Verh. Land- en Volkenk. p. 22 (1839- 



P- 



(1875). 

 Tanysiptera galatea, Graif, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 154 ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, 

 p. 199, note; Gray, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 347, 1861, p. 433 ; Wall. 

 Ibis, 1862, p. 350; 'id. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 24 ; Schl. Nederl. Tijdschr. 

 Dierk. iii. p. 271 (1866) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 9U, no. 1071 



* Dr. Meyer has recently described a form from Rubi in N.W. New Guinea 

 as T. galatea rubievsis (Abhandl. k. Zool. Mus. Dresd. 1890-91, no. 4, p. 8V 



x2 



