﻿CLASSIFICATION. 



vii 



3. CORYTHORNIS GALERITA. 



I am glad to see that Dr. von Heuglin agrees with me as to the improbability of this 

 species being found in N.-E. Africa. The name of C. cceruleocephala (Gm.) sinks into a 

 synonym in favour of the older name proposed by Miiller (Syst. Nat. Suppl. p. 94). 



Genus 3. Alcyone. 



Type. 



Alcyone, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 336 (1837) A. azurea. 



Clams specierum. 



a. Torque pectorali nullo. 

 a 1 . Abdomine rufo. 



a". Rostro robustiore. 



a'". Supra saturate ultramarina 1. lessoni. 



b'". Supra laetissime ultramarina 2. affinis. 



b". Rostro tenuiore. 



a!". Rostro breviore : pileo nigro distincte fasciato 3. diemenensis. 



b'". Rostro longiore, pileo baud fasciato. 



a"". Hyponcbondriis rufis 4. azurea. 



b"". Hypocbondriis pulcberrime ultramarinis 5.pulchra. 



b'. Abdomine albo 6. pusilla. 



b. Torque pectorali lazulino 7. cyanopectus. 



Of the species above enumerated, Alcyone diemenensis is the only one which may be con- 

 sidered to hold subspecific rank ; for I do not think its specific characters are of much 

 importance. As regards Alcyone pusilla, this species may be considered one of the links 

 between the genera Alcyone and Ceyx, while another link is to be found in Alcyone 

 cyanopectus, which is certainly very close to Ceyx pliilippinensis. Indeed it will require 

 the researches of some able naturalist, like Mr. Wallace, in the Philippines, clearly to 

 show us what are the differences between the two species. My friend Count Salvadori, 

 who has paid much attention to these birds, stipulates for their both being placed in the 

 genus Alcyone ; but I would rather keep them in the genus Ceyx, because we should then 

 have plumage as an additional generic character, and this is by no means an unimportant 

 matter in the classification of Kingfishers. All the species of Alcyone, distinguished by 

 their uniform backs, would be in one genus, while all the species of Ceyx, with their 

 brilliant lilac or cobalt backs, would be in another genus, and the most aberrant forms 

 would be found in Ceyx philippinensis and Ceyx cyanopectus. If researches in the 

 Phdippine Islands show (what I believe to be more than likely) that the two last-named 

 birds are merely sexes or different stages of one and the same species, it will naturally 

 be wondered that I could put them into different genera. It will then be necessary to 

 examine the types of my descriptions ; and it will be found that, according to the only 

 outward character to be discovered, the two species have been rightly placed. Externally 

 the differences between Ceyx and Alcyone are very slight ; both are three-toed genera ; ami 



