HALCYONES. 173 



Older PICARI^. 



The Picariae differ from all otlicr birds in combining the following 

 two characters : — Flexor perforans digitorum leading to hallux ; 

 ambiens muscle absent. 



The order Picarise contains three suborders^ two of which are 

 represented in Japan. 



Suborder X. HALCYON ES. 



Front plantar leading to hallux ; spinal feather-tract well defined 

 on the neck by lateral bare tracts, and continuing single down the 

 upper back ; vomer absent ; palate desmognathous ; no basipterygoid 

 processes. 



The Halcyones consist of four families. The Coliidce are a very 

 small family, containing half a dozen species, confined to the Ethio- 

 pian Region. The Momotidae, with less than a score species, and the 

 Todidcp, with about half a dozen, are confined to the Neotropical 

 Region ; but the Alcedinidce contain nearly a hundred and fifty 

 species, and, with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic Regions, 

 are found all over the world. 



Three species are found in Japan, all of them apparently of tropical 

 origin . 



154. HALCYON COROMANDA. 



(RUDDY KINGFISHER.) 



Alcedo coromanda^ Latham, Index Orn. i. p, 252 (1790), 



The Ruddy Kingfisher is more or less rufous all over except a 

 stripe down the centre of the rump and upper tail-coverts, which is 

 white marked with blue. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 39, 

 under the name of Alcedo {Halcyon) coromanda major ; Sharpe, 

 Alcedinidae, pi. 57. 



The Ruddy Kingfisher is said to be only a summer visitor to Yezzo, 

 but to be a resident in the other islands belonging to the Japanese 

 group. In the Swinhoe collection there is an example collected by 



