1870.] A Contribution to Malayan Ornithology. 297 



mens. This would seem to indicate a passage to the Manilla form, 

 H. gularis, Kuhl, but the specimen has not the distinctive character 

 of that species ; the blue color above is beautifully developed, which 

 seems to shew that the Malacca specimen is not a young bird : wing 

 4J inches ; tail barely 3" ; bill at front only 1 T \", from gape 2^", its 

 height at base %". 



34. Alcedo Bengalensis, Gmel. 



J e r d o n, B. Ind. I, p. 230 ; Q- o u 1 d, B. Asia pt. XIV. 



A large specimen shot in the Wellesley Province has the pale 

 blue tips to the feathers on the front head slightly, and on the sca- 

 pulars scarcely at all developed, the chesnut below is pale ; wing 

 2 |f inch, bill at front 1^", from gape a little more than If". Other 

 specimens from the same locality,, and from Malacca and Penang, 

 are typical in coloration, some larger, others smaller. 



35. Dacelo ptjlchella, H o r s f . 

 Eesear. in Java, with fig. of $ . 



This appears to be a rare species in Malacca ; one specimen 

 obtained somewhat differs from the Javanese bird described by 

 Horsfield. 



Forehead and sides of head and neck, extending from the base of 

 the lower mandible backwards, rich chesnut, this color partially 

 tinging a few of the upper feathers on the posterior neck, but not 

 joining to a complete collar, though the chesnut is laterally 

 very distinct ; crown and occiput extending posteriorly covered 

 with a large beautifully azure blue patch, this reaching well to the 

 sides of the neck ; it is produced by the blue tips of the fea- 

 thers, the basal two-thirds of their length being black on the front 

 crown, the next posterior feathers have one white bar, and the last 

 which gradually increase in length 2 to 3 white cross bars. The 

 feathers on the back and scapulars extending down to the upper 

 tail coverts are all broadly tipped with greenish blue, the rest of 

 the upper plumage being black with white cross bars. Wings 

 black, shoulder edge of wing and the external edge of the first pri- 

 mary pale rusty, primaries and the first secondaries with their 

 coverts black, the former white at the base of the inner webs, the 

 last secondaries with white spots on the outer web ; the tertiaries 



