﻿SYMA TOROTORO. 



(SAW-BILLED KINGFISHER.) 



Syma torotoro, . . . Lesson, Voy. Coq. Zool. I, p. 689, pi. 31 bis (1826). 



„ lessonia, . . . Swains. Classif. of Birds, II, p. 334 (1837). 



Halcyon torotoro, . . . Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, I, p. 79 (c. 1844). 



Todiramphus torotoro, . . . Cassin, Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 12 (1852). 

 Bacelo torotoro, . . . Schlegel, Mus. Pays Bas, Alced, p. 23 (1863). 



Bacelo syma, S. Miiller" Schlegel, ut supra. 



S. major : pileo aurantio-rufo : rostro toto flavissimo : cauda lsete indigotica : tectricibus alarum 

 viridi-ccerulescentibus. Fern, fronte et pileo medio nigris, et vitta nuchali nigra distinguenda. 



Hab. in Nova Guinea, et in insulis adjacentibus. 



Male. — Head and neck deep orange- red ; a patch of feathers round the front of the 

 eye, a longitudiual patch of feathers along the side of the neck, and the upper part of the 

 back black; scapularies and wing-coverts greenish; wing-feathers brownish- black, the 

 inner web light rufous from the base, the outer web narrowly edged with greenish ; lower 

 part of the back greenish-blue ; upper surface of the tail indigo, under surface black ; chin 

 white ; entire under surface rich orange, a little paler on the abdomen ; bill and feet orange- 

 yellow. Total length 8 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.9, wing 3.1, tail 2.6, 

 tarsus 0.5, middle toe 0.6, hind toe 0.3. 



Female — Similar to the male, but the crown of the head black from the base of the 

 bill to the occiput, and a black half-collar round the back of the neck. 



Hab. New Guinea: Dorey (Lesson), Lobo (Miiller), Aru Islands (Wallace), Waigiou, (Wal- 

 lace), My sol (Wallace). 



This bird is very rarely met with in European Museums, and we know little of its 

 habits. The curious serrated mandible, on which the genus Syma is principally founded, 

 is well shewn by Mr. Keulemans in the plate. Some specimens exhibit this peculiarity 

 more developed than others. 



Lesson says: — " This bird dwells by the side of the sea, along the mangroves (Bru- 

 guiera.) It skims over the strand in its flight to seize the little fishes, which its beak, 



Additional References. — Syma torotoro, Lesson, Traite d'Orn. p. 244 (1831) Miiller, Verh, Ethn. p. 22 

 (1839; Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 153 (1850), id. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854) Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 43, t. 

 ccccxxx, fig. 3173 (1851), Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 172, id. P. Z. S. 1801, p. 433, Rosenb. Journ. f. Orn. 1864. p. 

 118. Halcyon torotoro, Sclatcr, Proc. Linn. Soc. 1858, p. 156. Todiramphus torotoro, Cassin, U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 

 222 (1858). Bacelo torotoro, Schlegel, Vog. Ned. Ind. pp. 19, 52, pi. 6 (1864). 



