98 Mr. W, R. Ogilvie-Grant on the Birds collected 



flanks. Only one example of this fine bird was procured. 

 Others were the dark purplish-blue and chestnut Alcyone 

 lessoni, about the size of our Common Kingfisher, and the 

 much smaller A. pusilla similarly coloured above^ but with 

 the uuder-parts pure white. 



Ceyx solitaria, a closely allied species, with purple spangled 

 upper-parts and cinnamon-yellow under-parts was also found 

 on the Mimika, and Mr. Goodfellow was surprised to find 

 this diminutive species, which he had believed to be ex- 

 clusively a fish-eater, greedily devouring- a canary-coloured 

 May- fly which swarmed on the waters of the Mimika during 

 April and May. 



On the river a few specimens of the large " Jackass " 

 Kingfisher (Dacelo intermedia) were obtained, but the 

 species was by no means common. The most conspicuous 

 bird was Gaudichaud's Kingfisher {Sauromarptis gaudi- 

 chaudi), and its loud grating call might be heard in all 

 directions. The adult is a very handsome bird, the black 

 of the upper-parts being relieved by the electric-blue tips to 

 the w'ing-coverts and feathers of the lower back and rump, 

 the wings and tail are washed with dull purplish-blue, the 

 throat is white and extends in a bufi" collar round the neck, 

 the under wing-coverts are buff and the breast and rest of 

 the underparts deep chestnut. The natives brought numbers 

 of the half-fledged young of this species to the base-camp 

 during IMay and June, and many were purchased by the 

 Javanese soldiers and convicts ; but as they fed them on 

 boiled rice only, their lives were brief. The great Shoe- 

 billed Kingfisher [Clytoceyx] was not met with by the 

 members of our Expedition, but Dr. Van Oort has described 

 a new form, which he calls Clytoceyx rex imperator, from a 

 specimen procured by Dr. Lorentz on the Noord River. 

 Another large species, Melidora macrorhina, with a curious 

 brown spotted plumage above, was not uncommon ; it usually 

 frequented the lower branches and undergrowth within a 

 few feet of the ground, and when disturbed merely mounted 

 to a more conspicuous perch. 



