Vol. XXXVI n 



1920 



Miller, Genera of Ceryiine Kingfishers. 425 



because M. alcyon is nearly if not quite as distinct from M. torquata 

 and M. maxima as is M. guttulata; third, because if Megaceryle 

 is divided Chloroceryle must also be split up, for C. amazona stands 

 alone in several respects. 



A character of M . guttulata and M. lugubris that has not been 

 pointed out is the considerably more extensive fusion of the third 

 and fourth toes as compared with M. torquata and M. alcyon. 

 In the former these toes are united to a point opposite the base 

 of the claw of the second toe or sometimes even decidedly be- 

 yond; in the latter the union falls decidedly short of this point. 

 M. maxima is perfectly intermediate; the toes are united just 

 to the point mentioned or sometimes a little short of it. In this 

 character Ceryle agrees with Megaceryle torquata and M. alcyon, 

 while Chloroceryle agrees with M. guttulata and M . lugubris. 



Further study has brought out additional characters separating 

 the genera of Ceryline Kingfishers. In Ceryle and Megaceryle 

 (M. alcyon and M. torquata examined) the greater secondary 

 coverts of the under side of the wing although vestigial are dis- 

 tinct; in Chloroceryle (C. amazona and C. americana examined) 

 these coverts are utterly wanting. In Ceryle and in Chloroceryle 

 (all except aenea examined) the slip of the deep plantar tendon 

 that supplies the hallux leaves the main tendon decidedly above 

 the point where the latter trifurcates to supply the anterior toes. 

 In Megaceryle (only M. alcyon examined) the four branches all 

 originate at nearly the same point. 



In Megaceryle (perhaps most so in M. lugubris) the planta 

 tarsi is strongly papillose. In the three smaller species of Chloro- 

 ceryle (subgenus Amazonis) the tarsus is not at all papillose while 

 in C. amazona and Ceryle it is intermediate and apparently some- 

 what variable. Some specimens of Ceryle agree well with Mega- 

 ceryle, in others the tarsus is less papillose. Chloroceryle amazona 

 is nearer the smaller species of the genus, the tarsus never being 

 as papillose as in Megaceryle. 



I find that Ceryle varia agrees with Chloroceryle amazona and 

 Megaceryle in having eighteen secondaries, these differing from 

 the three smaller species of Chloroceryle which have but fourteen 

 or fifteen secondaries. Dr. C. W. Richmond (Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. 1893, 16, p. 511) states that the voice of Chloroceryle 



