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CLASSIFICATION. 



The genus Dacelo certainly does not stand in affinity close to Halcyon, for properly Todi- 

 ramphus is the most nearly allied ; but I have found it more convenient in the tabular 

 classification to arrange them in the present order, and therefore keep to the arrangement. 

 The present genus contains the largest members of the whole family of Kingfishers, some of 

 them being so powerful as to prey on small Mammalia. It may be divided into two sections, 

 the larger ones being the species of " Jackass," and the smaller ones exhibiting a certain 

 affinity to Caridonax and Halcyon. Most of the Dacelones differ according to sex, the male 

 always having a blue tail, and the female a brown one ; but one species in each section differs 

 from the general rule, and has the sexes similar. 



Genus 13. Todirhamphus. 



Type. 



Todirhamphus, Less. Mem. Soc. cTHist. Nat. iii. p. 420 (1828) . . . T. veneratus. 



Coporhamphus, Gloger, Handb. Naturg. p. 338 (1842) ? 



Clavis specierum. 



a. Torque collari nullo 1. veneratus. 



b. Torque collari lato. 



a". Subtus fulva 2. recurvirostris. 



b". Subtiis alba 3. tutus. 



These species are all confined to the various groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean, and 

 are very little known to ornithologists. T. veneratus stands alone ; but T. tutus and T. recur- 

 virostris are closely allied to species of Halcyon, the former to H. sacra and the latter to 

 H. sancta. These birds the two above-mentioned Todirhamphi resemble very closely in 

 plumage, and might easily be mistaken for them by a careless observer ; but they are cer- 

 tainly specifically separable, and belong to totally distinct genera. 



Genus 14. Monachalcyon. 



Type. 



Monachalcyon, Reich. Haudb. Alced. p. 37 (1851) M. monacha. 



Species unica. 



M. monuchus (Bonap. Cousp. Gen. Av. p. 154, ex Forstcr, MS.). 



In form of bill Monachalcyon seems intermediate between Tanysiptera and Halcyon, being 

 in general appearance not far removed from the cinnamon group of Halcyones, while in the 

 young plumage it very much resembles Tanysiptera. The difference between young and 

 old birds of Monachalcyon is very curious. 



Genus 15. Caridonax. 



Type. 



Caridonax, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hem. Tb. ii. p. 1G2 (1860) .... C.fulgidus. 



