﻿ii 



INTRODUCTION. 



though on the whole well executed, I am sorry that I cannot give unqualified praise in some 

 instances. 



Lastly, I have to return my heartfelt thanks to those subscribers who have favoured me 

 with their patronage. Without their assistance it would have been impossible to finish 

 the book successfully ; and the encouragement accorded by so many kind friends has 

 cheered me on through all the difficulties of the task, which have been far greater than 

 I ever anticipated. I have no right to endeavour to disarm criticism, after having under- 

 taken the production of so ambitious a work ; but I do hope that the errors of the present 

 monograph, which, of course, is not by any means perfect, may be viewed with a lenient eye ; 

 for it must be remembered that an author who commences so large an undertaking at the 

 age of seventeen, and who as he pens these last words has not attained to the age of twenty- 

 three, cannot have lived long enough to have digested all the mass of literature which would 

 bear upon the subject, and is therefore entitled to some slight consideration. But I believe 

 that the facts stated in this book may be depended upon ; for in every instance where an 

 assertion has appeared doubtful I have been careful not to state it, leaving it to future 

 investigation to prove or disprove the correctness of the original statement. Finally, a short 

 " History of the Work " may be of use to students who desire to know the date of publication 

 of any of the species. 



Dates of Publication. 



Part I., July 1st, 1868, contained figures and descriptions of Caridonax fulgidus, Card- 

 neutes pulchellus, Halcyon pileata, H. dryas, Ceyx cajeli, C. wallacii, Ceryle alcyon, C. 

 superciliosa. 



Part II., October 1st, 1868, contained figures and descriptions of Cittura sanghirensis, 

 C. cyanotis, Ceyx lepida, C. solitaria, C. tridactyla (Vosm.), C. melanura, Carcineutes 

 melanops, Ceryle cabanisi. 



After this part was published it was discovered that C. tridactyla (Vosm.) was not the true 

 C. tridactyla (Pallas) ; and the name was corrected in the succeeding Part. 



Part III., January 1st, 1869, contained figures and descriptions of Uacelo gaudichaudi 

 and I), tyro, Tanysiptera mjmpha, Halcyon badia, Syma torotoro and S. flavirostris, Ceyx 

 tridactyla and C. philippinensis. 



The species figured, as above mentioned, in Part III. as C. tridactyla not being the true 

 C. tridactyla, but C. rujidorsa, letterpress to accompany the Plate is now given, and with the 

 last Part a slip of paper is published to paste over the name of C. tridactyla published in 

 Part 111. ; and then all will be correct. 



PAST IV., April 1st, 1869, contained figures and descriptions of Melidora macrorhina, 

 Halcyon scnegaloides, Ispidina madagascariensis, I. leucogastra, I. picta, Ceyx uropygialis, 

 Alcyone cyanopecfus, Ceryle inda. 



PAKE V., July 1st, 1869, contained figures and descriptions of Ceryle amazonia, Alcedo 

 beryllino. A. scmi/orauafa, Corythomis rintsioides, Ceycopm fall ax, Ispidina ruficeps, Halcyon 

 oru ntalis, 11. cyiiiioleuca. 



PARI VI., October 6th, 1S69, contained descriptions of the following: — Ceryle guttata, 



