﻿viii 



CLASSIFICATION. 



the great difference is to be found in their habits ; for Alcyone is a fish-eater and partakes 

 of the characteristics of true Alcedo — that is to say, has a long, thin, pointed bill, much 

 compressed, and strongly carinated : Ceyx, on the other hand, is a forest-loving genus, living 

 away from the water, feeding on insects, and bearing affinity towards Halcyon ; the bill is 

 inclined to be depressed, has no strongly marked keel ; and the genus could not be compared 

 with Alcyone, were it not for the intermediate links to be found in the Philippine species 

 above mentioned. A full knowledge of the habits and, still more, of the osteology of these 

 two species is to be desired ; for it is possible that, as in the case of Ceryle and Pelargopsis, 

 where a difficulty is met with in finding a tangible and definable character for distinction, a 

 good osteological character can be adduced for generic separation. 



We have now to consider the long-tailed section of the subfamily Alcedinince, in which 

 only two genera, Ceryle and Pelargopsis, are included. In the former of these two genera a 

 dacelonine peculiarity is first observed in the difference of the sexes, but not, as in most of 

 the genera, in a perfect dissimilarity, or a difference in colour of the tail, but by the presence 

 or absence of a pectoral band. This subject can be better discussed after the sections of 

 the genus have been pointed out. 



Genus 4. Ceeyle. 



Type. 



Ceryle, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316 C. rudis. 



Ispida, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 326 (1837) C. alcyon. 



Megaceryle, Kaup, Fam. Eisv. p. 8 (1848) C. guttata. 



Chtoroceryle, Kaup, Fam. Eisv. p. 8 (1848) C. superciliosa. 



Amazonis, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 28 (1851) C. superciliosa. 



Streptoceryle, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854) C. torquata. 



Ichthijnomus, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 150 (1860) . . . . C. maxima. 



That most of the above genera are founded upon differences of plumage rather than upon 

 structural peculiarities, will be shown by the following: — 



Clavis specierum. 



a. Scxibus similibus. 



u'. Dorso fusco, nigro et albo conspicue transfasciato. 



«". Major: rostro inagis compresso 1. lugubris. 



b". Minor : rostro ad basin paullo dilatato 2. guttata. 



b. Sexibus dissimilibus. 



«'. Dorso albo, nigro maculato 3. rudis. 



//. Dorso schistaceo-nigro : mas torque pectorali rufo distinguendus. 



a". Abdominc medio albo 4. maxima. 



//'. Abdominc nigro, albo transfasciato 5. sharpii. 



c'. Dorso clare schistacco. 



a". Abdominc rufo, torque pectorali maris absentc. 



a 1 ". Major : dorso immaculato 6. torquata. 



b'". Minor : dorso albo stellato 7. stellata. 



b". Abdominc albo 8. alcyon. 



