﻿really distinct in any way from the Indian species, specimens from Timor and Flores 

 excepted (vide infra). Ceylonese specimens, however, certainly do vary in being smaller 

 and in having the blue of the upper surface more vivid. Lord Walden has very kindly 

 lent me several specimens for examination, and in noting this variation Professor 

 Reichenbach was no doubt right, but I cannot allow that it is a case for specific distinction, as 

 a single Ceylonese specimen placed in the midst of a series from Bengal would not be 

 detected ; it is only on comparing a series of one bird with a series of the other that a 

 variation can be perceived. The single specimen in my collection from Central Asia differs 

 from the Indian in being of a more vivid greenish blue and much paler red underneath. 

 This difference is also noted by von Schrenk in a specimen from the Altai and is a curious fact 

 as I cannot detect any real difference in the more western specimens from the usual Indian 

 form. There can, I think, be little doubt that the bird from Flores and Timor constitutes 

 another local variety, as was noticed long ago by Temminck and Schlegel ( Fauna. Jap- Aves. 

 p. 77). The plumage is altogether much richer and the blues of the upper surface more 

 intense. Mr. Wallace brought home several specimens from the former locality and has identi- 

 fied them with A . moluccensis (T.Z.S. 1863, p. 484). The latter, however, is a distinct species, 

 having the ear-coverts blue. There is also a slight difference worth noting in the specimens 

 of Alcedo bengaJensis from Formosa as compared with those from the mainland of China, 

 consisting hi the greater development of the blue patches of feathers on either side of the 

 breast. In addition also to their larger size, they appear to be brighter in tint and more 

 inclining to berylline-green. The large series brought home by Mr. Swinhoe during his 

 second visit to Formosa exhibits this character in all the fully adult examples, and he has 

 very kindly given me some notes on the specimens in his collection which will be given below. 



I now append a table of measurements taken from adult specimens from various localities. 

 In juxta-position are placed a few Alcedo iyrida to show that the character of the larger 

 size and proportionably shorter bill are constant characters in the latter species : — 



No. 



Sex. 



Name. 



Locality. 



Authority. 



Long tot. 



Rostr. 



Al. 



1 



C? 



A. ispida. 



England. 



mus. K. B. S. 



7-2 



17 



3-0 



2 



s 



» 



» 



it 



7-2 



1-7 



2-95 



3 



6 



tt 



»» 



it 



71 



1-6 



2-95 



4 



c? 



» 





it 



6-9 



1-6 



2-95 



5 



c? 



a 



» 



tt 



7-5 



1-7 



3'0 



6 



P 



n 



it 



tt 



7-2 



1-7 



30 



7 





it 



tt 



tt 



6-8 



1-6 



30 



8 



P 



II 



tt 



tt 



t.o 



1-6 



30 



9 



S 



«» 



tt 



>» 



7 5 



1-65 



30 



10 



6 



It 



Greece. 



H. B. Tristram. 



7-0 



1-5 



31 



11 



6 



it 



Jericho, 





6'7 



1-5 



2-95 



12 



S 



A. bengalensis. 



Central Asia. 



mus. R. B. S. 



6-5 



1-7 



29 



13 



6 



» 



Cairo. 



J. K. Lord. 



6 6 



20 



2-8 



14 



? 



» 



Ceylon. 



mus. Walden. 



6-3 



1-65 



2-6 



15 





»• 



tt 



tt tt 



6-4 



1-75 



2-7 



16 





» 



tt 



tt tt 



6-4 



1-65 



2-8 



17 







Bengal. 



mus. R. B. S. 



6-2 



1-65 



2-8 



IK 





» 



India. 



tt 



61 



1-65 



2-8 



19 





a 



>» 



tt 



6-1 * 



1-75 



2-7 



20 



6 



» 



Java. 



mus. R. Swinhoe. 



60 



1-65 



2-85 



21 





»> 



Malacca. 



Wallace. 



5-8 



1-65 



2-8 



22 





» 



Japan. 



Whitely. 



6-4 



1-65 



2-8 



23 





» 



Labuan. 



Dillwyn. 



6-4 



1-65 



2-7 



24 





•» 



Gilolo. 



Wallace. 



6-5 



1-65 



2-8 



25 





>» 



Hainan. 



Swinhoe. 









20 





i> 



Ainoy. 



tt 



6-2 



165 



2-8 



27 





it 



Formosa. 



tt 



61 



1-65 



2-85 



28 





it 



it 



tt 



6-2 



1-65 



2-8- 



29 





it 



Phillipines. 



Cuming. 



60 



!•• 



2-9 



