314 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



278. CEYX EUERYTHRA Sharpe. 



RED-BACKED KINGFISHER. 



Ceyx euerythra Sharpe. Cat. Birds Brit. Mas. (18!)2). 17, 179; Hand-Li><t 

 (1900), 2, 53; BoiTJNS and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 45; McGregor and Worcester. Hand-Li.st 

 (1906), 53. 



Balabac (Everett); Bongao (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns li Woreester) ; 

 Mindoro (Bourns tt- ^Yorcester, Schmacker, McGregor) ; Palawan (Lempriere, 

 Platen, Steere Exp., Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White) ; Tawi 

 Tawi (Boxcrns d Worcester, Everett). ]\Ialay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo. 



Adult. — Above red, washed witli lilac, heaviest on head and runi}); 

 below deep yellow, strongest across the breast; chin and upper throat 

 white, washed with yellow; wing-coverts like the back; primaries and 

 secondaries black; first primary and the secondaries edged with rufous; 

 wing-lining yellow. ''Iris dark brown; bill and feet red." {Celestino.) 

 Male, length, 140; wing, 58; tail, 23; culmen from base, 40. Female, 

 length, 140 ; wing, 58 ; tail, 24 ; culmen from base, 40. 



"We have fourteen specimens from Tawi Tawi, Palawan, and the Cala- 

 mianes Islands and they show some interesting plumage changes which 

 were for some time a puzzle to us. 



"An adult pair in high plumage from the Calamianes liave entii'c 

 upper surface of body red, washed with lilac, most heavily on head and 

 rump. Wing-coverts and scapulars like back. Secondaries rufous with 

 broad black shaft-stripes. Primaries black, the first rufous for entire 

 length of outer web and most of the others showing a small amount of 

 rufous at their tips. Under surface of primaries washed with rufous on 

 inner webs. Chin and throat white faintly tinged with lemon-yellow. 

 Eemainder of under surface deep golden-yellow, darkest on sides of breast 

 and flanks. A yellowish white patch behind ear. Under tail-coverts 

 golden yellow, tipped with rufous. Tail uniform bright rufous above and 

 below. Under wing-coverts and axillars golden yellow. Bend of wing 

 rufous. 



"This plumage we take to be typical for fully adult birds in fine feather. 

 Two females from Palawan agree with this description except that in 

 one the secondaries show rufous only on under surface of inner webs, 

 and that the primaries show no rufous except on basal half of outer web 

 of first. The under wing-coverts, axillars, and bend of wing are light 

 rufous instead of yellow. 



"Sharpe, Ibis (1894), 246, reports an adult male of tliis species from 

 Bongao and a female from Tawi Tawi. We note certain differences 

 shown by our Tawi Tawi specimens, of which we have twelve. Of these 

 four agree with the Calamianes birds except that the scapulars show more 

 or less black at their bases and that the secondaries show more of black. 

 Among the remaining specimens, however, there are some curious 

 variations. 



