PELARGOPSIS. 303 



returning to its perch. Often seen flying about actively just after dark, 

 like a night hawk." {Bourns and \Vorcester MS.) 



This roller is easily identified by its gaudy plumage, bright red bill, and 

 peculiar jerky flight ; there is no other Philippine species resembling it. 



Suborder HALCYONES. 



Family ALCEDINID^. 



Bill long, strong, and pointed, never hooked; culmen rounded or 

 slightly flattened, straight or nearly so; nostrils small, reached by frontal 

 feathers; wings and tail moderate, the latter slightly rounded; tarsus 

 short; feet weak; front toes more or less united. The two subfamilies 

 will not be considered here as their differences are very slight. 



Genera. 

 a\ Tail longer than culmen. 



b^. Bill compressed; culmen flattened; a groove on each side from nostril parallel 



to culmen; length of bird, 350 mm. or more Pelargopsis (p. 303) 



b'. Bill little if at all compressed; culmen rounded; groove parallel to culmen 



shallow or absent; length of bird, 300 mm. or less Halcyon (p. 318) 



«-. Tail shorter than culmen. 



6'. Toes four Alcedo (p. 305) 



b^. Toes three; forest inhabiting. 



c\ Bill more slender and more compressed; the species usuall}' found near 



streams Alcyone (p. 308) 



c". Bill stouter and less compressed; the species usually found away from 

 water in foi-est or in thickets Ceyx (p. 311) 



Genus PELAEGOPSIS Gloger, 1842. 



Large, length 300 mm. or more; bill bright red, very large and strong; 

 culmen flattened and perfectly straight; a well-marked groove on each 

 side of bill from nostril to near tip of bill, back and rump pale blue, 

 lower parts buff, tail much longer than bill. 



Species. 



uK Back and wings deep ultramarine blue; lower back rich cobalt. 



javana (p. 303) 

 a^. Back and wings bluish green; lower back greenish cobalt. 



6\ Head, neck, and under parts rich deep ocherous gouldi ( p. .304) 



6". Head whitish ; hind neck and under parts pale ocherous-bufl'. 



gigantea (p. 305) 



266. PELARGOPSIS JAVANA (Boddaert). 

 BORNEAN STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER. 



Alcedo javana Boddaeet, Tabl. PI. Enl. (1783), 47. 



Pelargopsis leucoccphala Steere, List Bds. & Mams. Steere E.vped. ( 1890) , 9 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 98; Hand-List (1900), 

 2, 48; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 51. 

 Mindoro (/S/eere £a^p.) ; Palawan (Whitehead, Steere Exp.) . Borneo. 



