by the B.O.U. Expedition to Dutch New Guinea. 97 



westwards to the Lesser Simda group. Mr. Goodfellow 

 says it swarmed in some places after the month of April^ 

 though previous to that date none had been met with, 



Family CoraciidjE — Rollers. 



Two species of Rollers inhabit the Mimika district, Eury- 

 stomus crassirostris, a greenish-blue species with brilliant 

 ultramarine throat, quills, and tail-feathers and vermilion 

 bill and feet; and a smaller species, E. australis, with 

 brownish-green upper-j)arts, verditer-blue breast, and bluish^ 

 green bases to the tail-feathers. 



Both Bee-eaters and Rollers were common in flocks along 

 the banks of the Mimika during April and May. They were 

 preying on the canary-coloured May-fly, which swarmed ou 

 the waters at that season. 



Family Alcedinid.e — Kingfishers. 

 Kingfishers were well represented in the Mimika district, 

 and Mr. Goodfellow says that the Sacred Kingfisher [Halcyon 

 sanctus) was undoubtedly the most conspicuous bird about 

 the base-camp, where its harsh cry could be heard all 

 through the hot hours of the day. The huts and store- 

 houses were infested by myriads of black crickets, which 

 take the place of the cockroaches found in other countries, 

 and commit fearful havoc among stores and personal posses- 

 sions. The constant packing up of goods to send up the 

 river drove thousands of these insects to seek shelter in other 

 parts of the camp, and, at such times. Kingfishers became 

 very tame and darted in and out among the buildings, 

 taking advantage of the feast thus afforded. Mr. Claude 

 Grant shot a single specimen of the lovely Kingfisher 

 H. nigrocyanea, the only one obtained. It has the crown^ 

 wings, upper tail-coverts, tail, and breast dark ultramarine 

 blue, the rump cobalt-blue, the throat and a band across 

 the breast pure white, and the remainder of the plumage 

 black. Another species met with at the base-camp was 

 H. macleayi, with purple head, wings, and tail, verditer- 

 blue back, white lores, collar, and under-parts, and cinnamon 



SER. X. VOL. I. H 



