1869.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE GENUS ALCYONE,. 353 
Philippine species. The arrangement proposed above, viz. of uniting 
Alcyone cyanopectus to Ceyx philippinensis under one and the same 
genus, would be more natural, as we should then have all the three- 
toed Kingfishers with bright backs under the genus Ceyx; and all 
those having the upperside uniform under Aleyone. No one who 
saw the specimens from which I described and figured the species in 
my ‘Monograph’ would doubt for an instant that I had placed them 
in the proper genera, from a study of their external form. 
The following I believe to be the correct synonymy of the various 
species of Alcyone, specimens of all of which are at present before 
me :— 
1. AtcyonE cyanopectus. Blue-girt Kingfisher. 
Ceyx cyanopectus, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1840, p. 33; Gray, Gen. of 
Birds, App. p. 5 (1848). 
Alcyone cyanopectus, Jard. Contr. to Orn. 1850, p. 82; Sharpe, 
Monogr. Alced. pt. 4 (1869). 
Aleyone cyanipectus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 158 (1850) ; 
Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 7, t. 396. f. 3060 (1851); Bonap. Consp. 
Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. Ixiv. 
Alcedo cyanipectus, Schleg: Mus. Pays-Bas, diced. p. 18 (1863). 
Alcyone cincta, Jard. Contr. to Orn. 1850 (plate only). 
A. torque pectorali lazulino lato: mandibula nigricante, maxilla 
aurantiaca. 
Hab. in insulis Philippinis. 
Head deep bluish black, irregularly banded with bright blue, more 
thickly on the nape; the whole of the back rich shining cobalt ; 
scapularies and wing-coverts black, broadly washed with dark blue, 
the latter also spotted with bright cobalt; wing-feathers brownish 
black, the secondaries narrowly edged with indigo ; tail black, washed 
with indigo; cheek indigo, spotted with cobalt ; a spot in front of 
the eye, a patch of feathers at the side of the neck, throat and upper 
part of the breast, whitish tinged with pale sienna; a band across 
the upper part of the breast and the flanks deep indigo, tinged with 
brighter blue on the latter ; abdomen and under wing-coverts rufous ; 
bill brownish black, the lower mandible tinged with range. Total 
length 5 inches, of bill from the front 1°4, from gape 1°7, wing 2°9, 
tail 0°7, tarsus 0°3, middle toe 0°3, hind toe 0°2. 
Hab. Philippine Islands (Mus. 7. C. Eyton). 
The description and measurements are from Mr. Eyton’s speci- 
men, the same described by Sir William Jardine and kindly lent me 
by Mr. Eyton. 
2. ALCYONE LESSONI. Lesson’s Kingfisher. 
ro) 
Aleyone lessoniit, Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1850, p. 69; zd. Cat. 
Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852); Sclater, Journ. Proc. Linn. Soc. 
1858, p. 156. 
Aleyone azurea, var. lessonii, Gray, P. Z. 8. 1859, p. 155; ad. 
P. Z. 8. 1861, p. 433. 
