﻿Yosmaer's work, or at least with his nomenclature. I regret that the name tridactyla was 

 printed on the plate, before I could countermand the order. 



Mr. Strickland and Mr. Moore both call attention to a blue spot on the sides of the 

 neck of the present bird, which they say is not so much developed as in C. tridactyla, but 

 I cannot find any blue spot at all, though I have examined many specimens. The violet 

 shades on the side of the head are certainly more brilliant just by the ear, but any blue 

 spot, like that so conspicuous in the allied species C. tridactyla and C. melanura, seems to 

 me to be always wanting. The tiny spot on the forehead is much less developed than 

 in C. tridactyla, and is indeed occasionally absent. The entirely rufous upper surface will 

 always distinguish it from all other species of the genus. 



The late Mr. Motley says c that in Borneo, the present species is " not uncommon, 

 frequenting the small streams in the woods, and making its nest in holes in banks." 



For the following very interesting note I am indebted to the kindness of 

 Mr. Wallace: — "This beautiful little bird is not uncommon in Malacca and the large 

 western islands of the Archipelago in low dry or swampy jungle, but generally near some 

 stream or lake. Often while searching after other birds, its rapid chirping note would be 

 heard, and it would dart by, appearing more like a small flame of fire than a living thing. 

 It eats small insects which it picks from the ground, darting upon them as an ordinary 

 Kingfisher darts upon a fish." 



The only other notice of the habits of the present bird appears in Schlegel's 

 " Museum," where the author gives a few notes on Javanese birds from the pen of the 

 Viscount de Bocarme. This nobleman observes: — " In Java, it is only met with in 

 secluded places, along the most shaded creeks, and where the banks are obstructed. It is 

 very rarely observed flying along the surface of the water ; its habits being to remain on 

 the same branch the whole day, whence it looks out for water- spiders. If one can approach 

 it unobserved, without frightening the bird, it may be seen to precipitate itself twenty 

 times a minute on the swarms of tii^e insects, which are often very numerous." 



I have a specimen in my collection, purchased of a dealer, and said to come from Singa- 

 pore. Lord Walden, who has had great experience in Oriental birds, thinks that the; 

 *' make" of the skin indicates its origin from Camboja. It is both larger and brighter 

 than the Malaccan birds. The following are the measurements of this specimen. Total 

 length 5.1 inches, of bill from front 1.4, from gape 1.7, wing 2.4, tail 1, tarsus 0.05, 

 middle toe 0.09, hind toe 0.2. 



The figure in the accompanying plate is drawn from a Bangka specimen in the Leiden 

 Museum, while I have taken the description and measurements from a skin in my own 

 collection, procured in Flores by Mr. Wallace. 



c P. Z. S. 18G3, p. 213. 



