﻿ALCYONE LESSON I. 



(LESSON'S kingfisher;. 



Alcyone Les&onii Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1850, p. 69. 



Ceyx azurea Less. Voy. Coq. Zool. I, p. 690 (1826). 



Alcyone azurea Eosenb. Journ. f. Orn. 1864, p. 118. 



A. torque pectorali nullo: abdomine rufo: rostro robustiore : supra saturate iiltramarina. 

 Hab. in Nova Guinea et in insulis dictis " Aru." 



Above deep rich ultramarine ; wing-coverts deep blue-black edged with ultramarine ; 

 quills blackish, the inner web very light rufous at the base, the secondaries broadly edged 

 with rich ultramarine ; tail deep ultramarine above, black beneath ; a minute loral spot 

 rufous ; a longitudinal patch of feathers along the sides of the neck white tinged with pale 

 orange ; throat whitish tinged with pale rufous ; cheeks, sides of the neck, and a large patch 

 of feathers on the sides of the upper part of the breast deep rich ultramarine, extending a 

 little on to the flanks ; rest of the under surface of the body deep rufous, with a rich lilac- 

 shine upon the flanks; bill jet-black; feet red. Total length 7 inches, of bill from front 

 1*7, from gape 21, wing 2*85, tail 1*2, tarsus 0'3, middle toe 0*5, hind toe - 25. 



Hab. New Guinea {Lesson, Wallace), Aru Islands ( Wallace). 



Although belonging to the same group of thick-billed Alcyones as A. affinis, the 

 present bird is distinct from that species, being altogether of a more rich ultramarine, not 

 so bright as in its ally from Batchian. I have not seen very many specimens of Alcyone 

 Lessoni, as it is a very rare bird in collections, but I have examined a large number of 

 Alcyone affinis and believe that the two species are entirely distinct, as indeed we might 

 expect from the difference in locality. 



I have taken the description from a fine adult bird collected by Mr. Wallace in Aru, 

 and lent to me by him. The figure is taken from a New Guinea bird in my own collection, 

 which I have thought it best to figure, as New Guinea is the typical locality for the present 

 species. 



Additional references.— Alcyone Lessoni, Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 5 (1852); Sclater, Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. 1858, p. 156; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 353. Alcyone azurea, var. Lessonii, Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 155 et 

 P. Z. S. 1861, p. 433. 



