CEYX. ale 
“Above rufous; head, cheeks, and back thickly spotted with bright 
lilac; wings black, secondaries edged with rufous; coverts black, broadly 
tipped with rufous, these rufous tips carrying faint lilac spots; breast 
rufous washed with bright lilac.” (Steere.)- 
“With a very large series of specimens from Mindanao and Basilan at 
our disposal we are unable to detect the slightest difference between the 
birds from the two islands and we therefore unite them under the name 
O. mindanensis, as the Mindanao birds were obtained and described first. 
Frequents forest or low second growth away from water.” (Bourns and 
Worcester. ) 
“Since Steere has attempted to separate the Mindanao and Basilan 
birds, we give measurements from all our specimens: 
“Hight males from Basilan measure, 134 in length; wing, 58; tail, 
21; culmen, 36; tarsus, 9; middle toe with claw, 16. 
“Highteen females from the same place measure, 135 in length; wing, 
58; tail, 22; culmen, 39; tarsus, 9; middle toe with claw, 14. 
“Four males from Mindanao measure, length, 135; wing, 58; tail, 
22; culmen, 39; tarsus, 8; middle toe with claw, 15. 
“Two females from same island measure, 143 in length; wing, 59; 
tail, 23; culmen, 39; tarsus, 9; middle toe with claw, 16. 
“Tris very dark brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails scarlet to orange-red. 
Usually keeps near ground. Occasionally alights 5 to 10 meters above 
ground. Food, insects and their larve.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 
277. CEYX SAMARENSIS Steere. 
SAMAR KINGFISHER. 
Ceyx samarensis STEERE, List Birds & Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 10; 
GRANT, Ibis (1897), 243; SHARPE, Hand-List (1900), 2, 53; McGrrecor 
and WorcESTER, Hand-List (1906), 53. 
Ceyx melanura SHARPE, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 180 (part). 
Leyte (Steere Exp.) ; Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead). 
“Upper surface deep rufous; interscapulars forming two broad black 
bands; wings black, coverts black and spotted with cobalt; sides of the 
head rich lilac; breast and upper abdomen lilac, fainter behind. Length, 
147; tail, 30; bill, 30; wing, 66; middle toe with claw, 15. Differs from 
true CO. melanura of Luzon in its larger size, in coloring of cheeks and 
breast, and in amount of coloring on the lower surface.” (Steere.) 
“We obtained a fine series of specimens in Samar which agree in every 
detail with the description of C. melanura. The specimens secured by us 
were found among the hills in deep forest and invariably away from 
water.” (Bourns and Worcester.) 
