33 [Vol. XXXV. 



The Hon. Walter Rothschild and Dr. E. Hartert also 

 exhibited three Kingfishers from New Guinea_, 



Halcyon nigrocyanea nigrocyanea, ^ ad., ? ad. et juv,, 

 Halcyon nigrocyanea quadricolor, ^ ad.. 

 Halcyon nigrocyanea stictolcema, <^ ad., 

 and made the following remarks on their distribution : — 



'^In the' Novitates Zoologicse/ 1901^ p. 154, we noted that 

 H. quadricolor, 'if really different/ would have to rank as 

 a subspecies of H. nigrocyanea. We came to this conclusion 

 on account of the apparent similarity between the females 

 of the two forms, and of the adult male of H. n. quadricolor 

 with the young of H. n. nigrocyanea. We liad not then 

 seen H. n. quadricolor, but we now possess the two fine 

 males which we now exhibit, one having been received in 

 exchange from Count Berlepsch, who, in the 'Journal fiir 

 Ornitliologie/ 1897, p. 90, gave a description of both sexes. 

 The females ajDpear to be indistinguishable ; the male of 

 H. n. quadricolor has tlie abdomen bright rufous, while 

 that of H. n. nigrocyanea is blue— otherwise there is no 

 essential difference. The young of H. n. nigrocyanea has 

 the abdomen dull rufous, thus showing affinity with H. n. 

 quadricolor, the young of which we have not examined. 



"jff. n. nigrocyanea inhabits Western Papaa, from Salwatti, 

 Batanta, Arfak, to the Etna Bay (Tring Museum) and the 

 Mimika River of Dutch New Guinea (British Museum). 



"H. n. quadricolor is only known from the North Coast of 

 New Guinea east of Geelvink Bay, and from Konstantin- 

 hafen. The only specimens recorded are the type in the 

 Paris Museum, a pair in Count Berlepsch's collection, and 

 two males in the Tring Museum. 



^' H. n. stictolcema is only known to inhabit the Fly River 

 and Mt. Cameron in British New Guinea. The female and 

 young, according to Count Salvadori's descriptions, are very 

 similar to those oi H. n. nigrocyanea." 



