f 



IRENA CYANOGASTRA, vigors. 



Blue-mantled Fairy Bluebird. 



Irena cyanogastra, Vigors, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. 97.— Gray & Mitchell, Genera of Birds, i. p. 288, pi. 70.— 

 Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 349.— Cass. United-States Exploring Exped., Aves, p. 143.— Gray, 

 Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 288.— Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 190.— Sharpe, Cat. Birds, iii. p. 266.— 

 Id. Trans. Linn. Soc. n. ser. Zool., i. p. 352.— Wardlaw Ramsay, Orn. Works of Marquis of Tweed- 

 dale, p. 657. 



Two species of the genus Irena are distinguished by having the under surface of the body blue instead of 

 black. Both these species are confined to the Philippine Archipelago, one of them, the subject of the 

 present article, being an inhabitant of Luzon and Panay, while it is represented in the island of Basilan by 

 /. melanochlamys. 



Although the present species has been known to science ever since the year 1831, no details have as yet 

 been published of its habits; and I must refer my readers to the accounts published of Irena puella, as the 

 habits of all the members of the genus are doubtless similar. If, as Dr. Meyer states, the sexes are alike 

 in plumage, it would differ in this respect from all its allies. Without affirming the absolute correctness 

 of Dr. Meyer's statements, I must admit that of all the specimens examined by me, none have shown any 

 difference in their plumage ; but its Basilan representative has the sexes differing in the manner usual with 

 the Irenes. 



The following description is copied from Mr. Sharpe's « Catalogue of Birds :' — 



"Adult male. General colour above deep purplish blue, slightly varied on the rump with ashy brown, 

 where the traces of the feathers show through ; the scapulars resembling the back ; least and median wing- 

 coverts deep cobalt-blue, the greater series black, shading off into deep cobalt at the tip, very slightly on 

 the outermost, conspicuously on the inner ones; primary coverts black, the quills black, the inner 

 secondaries externally deep cobalt like the wing-coverts, the greater upper tail-coverts deep cobalt, brighter 

 than the lower back ; tail black, washed with deep purple, more plainly on the centre feathers ; crown of 

 head and nape deep cobalt-blue, a little brighter on the fore part of the crown ; lores, sides of face and 

 of neck, entire throat, and chest black ; rest of under surface deep purplish blue like the back ; under 

 tail-coverts deep cobalt-blue ; thighs and under wing-coverts brown, washed with purplish blue; iris red. 

 Total length 10 inches, culmen 1-15, wing 535, tail 4-4, tarsus 0-85." 



The figures in the Plate are of the size of life, and are drawn from specimens in my own collection. 



[R. B. S.] 



