326 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



288. HALCYON MOSELEYI (Steere). 

 MOSELEY'S KINGFISHER. 



Aotenoides moseleyi STEEBE, List. Birds & Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 11. 



Halcyon moseleyi SHABPE, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 288; Hand- 

 List (1900), 2, 61; GRANT, Ibis (1896), 557; MCGREGOR and WOR- 

 CESTER, Hand-List (1906), 55. 



Negros (Steere Exp., Whitehead). 



"Immature female (type of species). Similar to H. lindsayi, but 

 distinguished by the edgings of the breast-feathers, which are black and 

 not green. 'Bill black, culmen and lower mandible yellow; legs and feet 

 greenish/ (Moseley.) Length, 264; culmen, 46; wing, 109; tail, 86; 

 tarsus, 14." (Sharpe.) 



"Moseley's kingfisher, a truly splendid species, is represented by three 

 fully adult males. The only example previously known is the immature 

 female originally described by Prof. Steere. From this female type the 

 male birds before me appear to differ in the following points : The lower 

 ear-coverts are chestnut instead of buff, the moustachial stripes cobalt- 

 blue, like the band round the crown of the head, and there is a small 

 triangular green patch in the middle of the black interscapular region. 

 From the adult male of H. lindsayi they are easily distinguished by the 

 generally black ground-color of the mantle and scapulars, as well as by 

 the black margins to the feathers of the breast and flanks, only those in 

 the middle of the breast being tinged with greenish. Length, 254 ; wing, 

 107; tail, 80; tarsus, 18." (Grant.) 



"Discovered by Mr. E. L. Moseley after whom it was named by Dr. 

 Steere. But one specimen was secured by him. We searched diligently 

 for this fine Halcyon on our return to Negros, but failed to find it. It 

 is undoubtedly extremely rare there. So far as we know at present this 

 species is confined to Negros, and no closely related species is known 

 from any island nearer than Luzon." (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



Suborder BUCEROTES. 

 Family BUCEROTIDJE. 



Bill very large; culmen curved, its basal part expanded into a hollow 

 casque, or else the sides of the bill deeply chiseled; eyelids with large 

 lashes ; wings short and rounded ; tail-feathers long and broad ; outer and 

 middle toes united for basal two-thirds, inner and middle toes united for 

 basal joint; plumage harsh and rough; large noisy birds of heavy flight. 

 The Philippine species are all well-marked and easily identified. 



