﻿24 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  obsolete, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  difference 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  excepting 
  

   the 
  hxrger 
  size 
  and 
  whiter 
  under 
  surface 
  of 
  D. 
  leacJiii. 
  

  

  The 
  types 
  of 
  D. 
  oecidentalls 
  from 
  the 
  Gould 
  Collection 
  are 
  now 
  

   in 
  the 
  Museum 
  ; 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  reason 
  that 
  I 
  dismissed 
  the 
  

   barred 
  outer 
  tail-feather 
  as 
  a 
  character 
  for 
  separating 
  Z>. 
  leachii 
  from 
  

   D. 
  ccrvinvs, 
  so 
  I 
  must 
  refuse 
  to 
  consider 
  it 
  a 
  mark 
  of 
  distinction 
  

   between 
  D. 
  cer^vinns 
  and 
  D. 
  occidentalis. 
  The 
  nearly 
  uniform 
  colora- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  is 
  a 
  much 
  more 
  peculiar 
  feature 
  ; 
  but 
  in 
  

   the 
  female 
  there 
  are 
  some 
  zigzag 
  markings 
  on 
  the 
  flanks. 
  That 
  this 
  

   uniform 
  under 
  surface 
  is 
  somewhat 
  accidental 
  is 
  proved 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  none 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Elsey's 
  specimens 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Museum, 
  procured 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  locality 
  as 
  Mr. 
  Gregory's 
  birds, 
  are 
  entirely 
  without 
  

   cross 
  bars 
  below. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  species 
  from 
  South-eastern 
  New 
  Guinea 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  

   cross 
  bars 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  exception 
  and 
  not 
  

   the 
  rule, 
  the 
  collar 
  round 
  the 
  hind 
  neck 
  being 
  also 
  perfectly 
  uni- 
  

   form. 
  As 
  with 
  the 
  Australian 
  species, 
  the 
  cross 
  bars 
  are 
  a 
  sign 
  of 
  

   immaturity, 
  being 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  more 
  uniform 
  brown 
  head. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  appear 
  therefore, 
  from 
  a 
  consideration 
  of 
  the 
  above 
  

   series, 
  that 
  not 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  characters 
  employed 
  for 
  the 
  separation 
  of 
  

   these 
  four 
  Laughing 
  Kingfishers 
  is 
  of 
  permanent 
  value. 
  The 
  barring 
  

   of 
  the 
  tail-feathers 
  must 
  be 
  set 
  aside, 
  being 
  merely 
  dependent 
  upon 
  

   age 
  ; 
  but 
  taking 
  D. 
  cervinus 
  as 
  the 
  central 
  form 
  or 
  leading 
  type 
  of 
  

   the 
  blue-tailed 
  Jackasses 
  of 
  Australia, 
  we 
  find 
  that 
  eastwards 
  (in 
  

   Queensland) 
  it 
  varies 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  becoming 
  a 
  larger 
  bird, 
  whiter 
  

   underneath, 
  and 
  always 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  barred 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface, 
  

   the 
  throat 
  included 
  {D. 
  leachii). 
  In 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  range 
  the 
  

   bird 
  has 
  a 
  tendency 
  to 
  become 
  uniform 
  underneath 
  {D. 
  occidentalis) 
  ; 
  

   but 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  bleaching 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  climate, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   evident 
  that 
  D. 
  intermedius 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  looked 
  upon 
  as 
  another 
  pale 
  

   race, 
  being 
  led 
  up 
  to 
  by 
  the 
  western 
  specimens 
  of 
  D. 
  cervinus. 
  

  

  49. 
  Halcyon 
  sanctns 
  ( 
  V. 
  Sf 
  H.). 
  

  

  Ramsay, 
  t. 
  c. 
  p. 
  179, 
  

  

  a, 
  6. 
  2 
  . 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Aug. 
  7, 
  1881. 
  

   c. 
  (S 
  ■ 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  July 
  1, 
  1881. 
  

  

  50. 
  Halcyon 
  macleayi, 
  J. 
  6,- 
  S. 
  

   Ramsay, 
  t. 
  c, 
  p. 
  179. 
  

  

  .a. 
  (S 
  . 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Aug. 
  1881. 
  

  

  51. 
  Halcyon 
  sordidus 
  {Gould). 
  

   Ramsay, 
  f. 
  c. 
  p. 
  179. 
  

  

  a. 
  ? 
  . 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  Nov. 
  1881. 
  

  

  