386 CORACIIFORMES CHAP. 
abdomen; the upper parts are black, with azure lower back, 
tail and wing-quills, the bill isred. A. sawrophagus of Papuasia 
and the Moluccas is blue, with white head and under surface, and 
black bill. HZ. nigrocyaneus of the former region is black and 
blue, with white throat, pectoral band and dorsal markings, the 
bill being black. The female is whiter below. HZ. lindsayi has 
dingy green upper parts with buff spots, and a black eye-stripe 
surmounted by an azure band, both of which extend round the 
back of the head; the neck and throat are cinnamon divided by 
a blue stripe, the under parts white mottled with green ; the bill 
is black. The blue parts are green in the female. 
Dacelo gigas, the “ Laughing Jackass” or “ Settlers’ Clock ” 
of Australia, is mainly brown above with a white stripe on 
each side of the head; the tail is rufous and black, the rump 
of the same colour in the female, greenish-blue in the male; 
the lower surface is dirty white, the bill blackish. Clytoceyx 
rex of New Guinea has an immensely thick, blunt, and rather short 
bill; it is brown above, with a rufous collar, blackish back and 
neck-stripes, heht azure rump, greenish tail and wing-quills ; 
below it is light chestnut with white throat. Carcineutes pul- 
chellus of the Malay countries, Sumatra, and Java has the fore- 
head, cheeks, and collar chestnut, the crown azure, the upper 
parts black with blue and white bands, the under parts rufous 
with white throat, the bill red. The female is rufous with black 
bars above, and white with black spotting below. Syma torotoro 
of Papuasia is greenish, with blue tail and rump, orange-rufous 
head and under parts, and a black collar. The crown is black 
in the female. The serrated bill is yellow. The genera /spidina 
and Ceyx furnish the pyemies of the Family, varying from about 
four to six inches in length; the coloration in the former is 
usually blue and black above and chestnut below, with a red bill; 
but L madagascariensis of Madagascar is entirely rufous, except 
for some white on the neck and lower surface. C. ewerythra, of 
the Malay countries and the Philippines, which is red with a 
lilac tinge above, has several similar congeners; here again, how- 
ever, blue, black, and orange are not uncommon hues. 
Sub-fam. 2. <Alcedininae.—Alcyone azurea of Australia has 
dark azure-blue upper parts, reddish-orange lower surface with 
lighter throat, and a whitish patch on the sides of the neck. 
Corythornis cristata 3s ultramarine with light chestnut under 
