&d 



Mr. P. C. Mitcliell on the 



examining a number of Kingfisliers ; my thanks for materials 

 are due to the Society, to the Prosector, Mr. Beddard, and to 

 Mr.C. Hose of Borneo. I hope to show tliatin the Alced nidge, 

 as in the Cohimbidae, those forms which have the eutaxic 

 arranji^ement of the wing are in otlier respects more modified. 

 The species which I have had an opportunity of examining 

 are : — 



Dacelo gigantea. Halcyon pileata. 



Sauropatis chloris. rufa (coromanda Sharpe) 



sancta. (Callalcvon rufa). 



sordida. Cenle aniericana. 



vagans. inda. 



Ceryle maxima. Cittura cyauotis. 



alcyou. .saughiveusia. 



Alced'o asiatica. 



bengalensis. 



ispida. 



Ceyx rulidorsa. 



The identification of some of these was simple ; in other 

 (iases I am indebted to the kind assistance of Dr. Bnwdler 

 Sharpe; the species of Cittura were identified at the Zoological 

 Gardens by Mr. Forbes, Mr. Beddard's well-known prede- 

 cessor. There is difference of opinion as to the allocation 

 of the generic names Sauropatis and Halcyon ; I agree wdth 

 Beddard (4) that, so far as we have examined the species, 

 there are anatomical reasons for separating the genera, and I 

 follow him in using the name Halcyon for the red -billed 

 species. This, how^ever, affects the nomenclature and not 

 the conclusions, as the species Avere readily distinguishable. 



EuTAXY and Diastataxy. 



It is easy to make out that in most Kingfishers the wing- 

 feathers are arranged in rows more or less diagonally placed ; 

 the large quill is at the base of the row and there follow 

 above it the major covert and the coverts of the third and 

 fourth series. Owing to the great size of the quills and 

 relative size of the major coverts the rows are dislocated at 

 the end towards the ulna ; they are shorter at the wrist, and 

 increase in length as the surface of the wing widens out 



