1896.] ON THE AMATOMT OF THE KINGFISHERS. 603 



Distribution. — These two subspecies seem to be distributed, 

 roughly speaking, in the manner stated by De Selys-Longchamps 

 in 1847, in fact it would be impossible to add to or correct what 

 he has said on this point without examining more specimens than 

 are at present available. The fact that the two French specimens 

 which I have been able to examine are of the neglectus form is 

 very interesting and confirms De Selys-Longchamps's statements. 

 There are no German specimens in the British Museum collection, 

 but Dehne ' has stated that 31. agrestic neglectus occurs fairly 

 commonly in Saxony, near Penig and Lossnitz, while Fatio found 

 it in the Hasli Thai, in Switzerland. 



To show the differences in size between the two races, I give the 

 dimensions (see pp. 600, 601). 



The measurements are taken from the ten largest British 

 specimens I could lay hands upon, and I have added to them those 

 of the only two French specimens which were available. 



In all cases, except those of Mr.Bonhote's specimens, the measure- 

 ments of the tails were taken so as not to include the last hairs. The 

 specimens kindly collected for me by Messrs. Coward and Caton 

 llaigh were measured by Mr. F. Metcalfe of Cambridge ; the 

 dimensions of the remainder were taken by the collectors. It 

 will be seen that the length of an average British specimen runs 

 to about 106 millimetres, while anything above that must be 

 regarded as large. The two largest British specimens I have 

 been able to examine are my own no. 47, sent me by Mr. Coward 

 from Cheshire, and Mr. de Winton's no. W. 86 from Herefordshire. 

 These two somewhat approach the younger Norway specimens in 

 size and characters, and these are the only two that do so out of 

 numerous specimens examined. 



3. Contributions to the Anatomy of Picarian Birds. — 

 Part III. On some Points in the Anatomy of the 

 Kingfishers. By Frank E. Beddard, M.A., F.R.S., 

 Prosector to the Society. 



[Ecceifed May 18, 1896.] 



The family Alcedinidee shows more structural variation within 

 its own limits than any other family of Picarian Birds. 



The first to call attention to this was Prof. Garrod, who re- 

 marked in describing' the tensores patagii of various Passerine and 

 Picarian Birds — " In the Alcedinidw the differences are so con- 

 siderable in the several genera that I reserve the description of 

 the muscle in this order for a future occasion." Again, in referring 

 to the course of the leg-veins he pointed out the abnormal con- 



• A. Dehne in ' AUgemeine deutsche naturhistorisohe Zeitung,' new series, 

 vol. ii. pp. 212 and 223 (1856). 



^ " On some Anatomical Peculiarities which bear upon the Major Divisiona 

 of the Passerine Birds.— Pt. I.," P. Z. S. 1877, p. 512. 



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