1869.] MR, R. B. SHARPE ON THE GENUS ALCYONE,. 355 
and in having the back of a much more brilliant blue than in the 
New-Guinea bird. The description and measurements are from a 
bird kindly lent me by Mr. Wallace, and procured by him in Gilolo. 
4, AucyoNe pieMENsIs. Van Diemen’s-Land Kingfisher. 
Aleyone diemensis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846, p. 19; dd. Introd. Birds 
of Austr. p. 31 (1848); Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 82 (c. 1844); 
Kaup, Fam. Alced. p. 18 (1848); Reich. Vog. Neuholl. p. 278 
(1850); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 143 (1860) ; Gould, 
Handb. Birds of Austr. i. p. 141 (1865). 
A. torque pectorali nullo: abdomine rufo: rostro tenuiore, bre- 
viore: pileo nigro indistincte fasciato. 
Hab. in Tasmania. 
Above deep blue, a little brighter on the rump, the head having 
the appearance of being indistinctly banded with dusky black ; 
cheeks, ear-coverts, scapularies, and wing-coverts black washed with 
blue; wing-feathers blackish, the inner web light rufous from the 
base, the outer web distinctly washed with blue; tail blue above, 
black beneath ; a small loral spot, a patch of feathers along the sides 
of the neck and the throat white tinged with rufous ; the whole of 
the under surface of the body deep rufous, with a very faint lilac 
lustre on the flanks; a large patch of feathers on the sides of the 
upper part of the breast black, with a slight blue shine; bill black ; 
feet red. Total length 6 inches, of bill from front 1°4, from gape 
1:9, wing 3°1, tail 1°35, tarsus 0°3, middle toe 0°55, hind toe 0°25. 
Hab. Tasmania (Gould). 
This species is rare in collections; and I have only met with one 
specimen, which I purchased of Verreaux. It is allied to 4. azurea, 
but is much smaller and not nearly so brightly coloured, while on 
the back, as Mr. Gould justly observes, there is a slight greenish 
tinge in some lights. There are also some obscure black bands on 
the head. The description and measurements are taken from the 
specimen in my collection mentioned above. 
5. ALCYONE AzUREA. Azure Kingfisher. 
Alcedo azurea, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. ii. p. xxxii (1801); Swains. 
Zool. Illustr. 1st ser. pl. 26 (1820); Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, Alced. 
p. 17 (1863). 
Ceyx azurea, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 106 (1826); Jard. and 
Selb. Ill. Orn. ii. pl. 55. f. 1. 
Aleyone azurea, Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 82 (c. 1844); Gould, 
Birds of Austr. ii. pl. 25 (1848); id. Intr. to Birds of Austr. p. 31 
(1848); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 65 (1848); Blyth, Cat. 
Birds Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 50 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. 
i. p. 158 (1850); Reich. Vog. Neuholl. p. 278 (1850); id. Handb. 
Alced. p. 7, t. 397. f. 3064, 3065 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. 
Mus. p. 5 (1852); Macgill. Voy. Rattl. ii. p. 356 (1852) ; Bonap. 
Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Pelz. Voy. Novara Vog. p. 50 
(1865); Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. i. p. 139 (1865). 
