204 Mr. W. E. Ogilvie-arant on Birds 



b. c? iram. Parimau, Mimika River, 13th Sept. 1910. 

 [No. 183, C. H. B. G.'] 



Iris deep brown ; bill coral-red, tip and round the nostril 

 black ; feet dull coral-red. 



" The Australian Roller was much scarcer than the last 

 species and, except on the lower reaches of the Iwaka River, 

 was seldom seen. It had the same actions and habits as 

 E. crassirostris, but was even more wild and difficult to 

 approach."— C.^.^.(y. 



Family ALCEDINID^. 



Alcyone azurea lessoni. 



Alcyone lessoni Cassin ; Sharpe, Cat. xvii. p. 170 (1892). 



Alcyone azurea lessoni Roths. & Hartert^ N. Z. xx. p. 488 

 (1913). 



a-c. cJ ? et imm. Parimau, Mimika River, 13th Sept., 

 18th & 30th Nov. 1910. [Nos. 184, 520, 621, C. H. B. G.] 



d,e. c? ? . Wataikwa River, Aug. & 9th Oct. 1910, 

 [IF. (^,,&No. U2>5, G,C.S.] 



f. ? . Launch Camp, Setakwa River, 17th Oct. 1912. 

 [t.B.K.] 



g, h. cJ ? . Canoe Camp, Setakwa River, 15th Nov. & 

 24th Dec: 1912. [C.B.IC] 



Iris hazel or dark brown ; bill black, white at the tip ; 

 feet pinkish-flesh-colour or coral-red; 



The type-specimen of A. lessoni Cassin was obtained at 

 Dorei, Geelvink Bay, and there can^ I think, be no doubt 

 that typical examples from that locality are indistinguishable 

 £r6m the series listed above. 



The relationship between this form and A. azurea Lath. 

 is more difficult to define. As a rule Australian birds have 

 the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blue, almost a 

 deep cobalt, while in New Gruinea birds these parts are- 

 nearly or quite uniform purplish- blue, like the rest of the 

 upperparts. A.pidchra Gould is founded on fidlt/ mature 

 examples of A. azurea and has no geographical significance,. 



