1885.] DURING THE VOYAGE OF THE YACHT 'MARCHESA.' 56/ 



The head of this bird is black, barred with light lihie, and the 

 upper surface generally is very dull blue. It was shot on the sea- 

 shore while engaged in hunting for small Crustacea, &c. 



Examples from the N. Australian region seem brighter than those 

 from the Moluccas aud Northern New Guinea. 



20. Ceyx lepida, Temm. 



Ceyx lepida, Salvad. op. cit. vol. i. p. 417. 



a. 6 • Ternate. 



Iris brown ; bill and tarsus bright scarlet. Length 16-3 centims. 



Wallace s])eaks of this beautiful species as being abundant in the 

 Moluccas, but 1 do not think that I met with it half a dozen times 

 during my visit. 



21. Tanysiptera MARGARETH.E, Heine. 

 Tanysiptera margaritce, Salvad. op. cit. vol. i. p. 430. 

 n. 13atcliian. 



Crown of head much maillee in appearance. Spatulse small, the 

 blue of the shaft of the feather partially invading them. 



22. Tanysiptera obiensis, Salvad. 

 Tanysiptera obiensis, Salvad. op. cit. vol. i. p. 433. 

 cc^h. d. "Obi group." 



i. 2 • "Obi group." 



k-7n. c7 . Obi Major. 



n. J j'uv. Obi Major. 



o-q. 2 • O'ji Major. 



r. cJ . Bisa Isand, Obi group. 



5, 2 . Bisa Island. 



Head brilliant ultramarine, uniform, but on the nape inclining to 

 cobalt. Cheeks, ear-coverts, sides and back of neck, and upper part 

 of back and scapulars deep indigo. Lesser wing-coverts bright 

 ultramarine ; quills brownish black, the inner webs white at the 

 base ; lower portion of back and tail-coverts pure white, the latter 

 in some examples tipped wich dark blue ; rectrices white, margined 

 with blue on the outer web ; the median pair very long, dark ultra- 

 marine, often marked irregularly with white on the inner webs ; 

 spatulse white, sometimes slightly bordered on the outer web with 

 blue. Entire under surface creamy white. Bill scarlet ; iris brown ; 

 feet yellowish green. Length in full plumage about 40"0 centims. 

 or even longer; middle rectrices 190-23'0 centims.; wing 10*9— 

 11 "4 centims. ; bill from gape 5'0 centims. 



The immature bird has the entire under surface rufous, each 

 feather being black at the base and edges, giving a scaly appearance. 

 The upper tail-coverts are tawny white, deeply bordered with black. 

 The wing-coverts are bordered with rufous. The tail-feathers are 

 bluish black above, greyish black below ; the median pair, projecting 

 about an inch beyond the others, are entirely bluish black including 

 the spatula, which has only a small central patch of white. 



37* 



