132 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



the usual white colour ; but they were doubtless pinky white 

 before they were blown. They are one inch long, by seven- 

 eighths broad. 



Sp. 65. TODIRHAMPHUS SORDIDUS, Gould. 



Sordid Kingfisher. 



Halcyon sordidus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part x. p. 72. 

 Todirhamphus sordidus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., toni. i. p. 157, Todi- 



rhamphus, sp. 8. 

 Sauropatis sordida, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil ii. p. 159 (note). 



Halcyon sordidus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pi. 23. 



This fine Kingfisher, the largest species of the genus Ihdi- 

 rhamplms inhabiting Australia, is rather plentifully dispersed 

 over the north-eastern portion of Queensland, or from Moreton 

 Bay to Cape York. Its discovery is due to the late Mr. 

 Bynoe, K.N., who obtained two examples on the north coast, 

 but the exact locality is unknown to me. 



Head, back, scapularies, and wing-coverts brownish oil- 

 green ; wings greenish blue, gradually changing into green 

 on the tips of the tertiaries ; collar round the back of the 

 neck and all the under surface bufify white ; tail greenish blue ; 

 upper mandible and tip of the lower one black ; base of the 

 latter flesh- white. 



Genus CYANALCYON, Verreaux, 



The species of this form at present known are C. Macleayi, 

 C. diops, C. laztdi, and perhaps C. lazidinus. They are all 

 highly coloured, and differ but little from the Todirliamphi, 

 with which they have been hitherto associated Australia, 

 New Guinea, and the adjacent islands are the countries fre- 

 quented by the members of this section of the Alcedinida. 



