﻿HALCYON LAZULI. 



(LAZULI KINGFISHER.) 



Alcedo lazuli Temm. PI. Col. 508 (1830). 



Halcyon lazuli Gray, Gen. of B. I. p. 79 (1846). 



„ ,, Cass. Cat. Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 6 (1852). 



Todiramplim lazuli ..... Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I. p. 157 (1850). 



„ ,, Beich. Handb. Alced. p. 30 (1851). 



Cyanalcyon lazuli ..... Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854). 



,, ,, Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. H. p. 158, note (1850). 



Bacelo lazuli Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 42 (1863). 



,, „ Schl. Vog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 31, 61, pi. 12 (1864). 



g H. lretissime lazulina: sc apularibus cum dorso postico et uropygio cyanescentibus : macula lorali alba : 

 gntture albo : pectore toto betissiiiie cyaneo. 



2 Man similis, sed subtus alba : abdomine imo tantum cyaneo. 

 Hab. in insulis "Ceram," "Amboina" dictis. 



Adult male. Head and neck deep lazuli-blue, a little brighter behind the ear; cheeks 

 and ear-coverts black washed with dark blue ; back and scapulars brilliant silvery cobalt ; 

 wing-coverts dark blue washed with brighter blue ; quills black, pale brown at the base of 

 the inner web, the outer web margined with dark blue, the edging to the primaries being 

 somewhat the lightest ; tail dark blue above, black beneath ; a spot in front of the eye and 

 entire throat pure white; rest of the under surface of the body bright silvery cobalt, darker 

 on the flanks ; under wing-coverts very dark blue ; bill black, yellowish at the base of the 

 lower mandible ; feet black. Total length 7*7 inches, of bill from front 1'7, from gape 22, 

 wing 3*7, tail 23, tarsus - 4, middle toe 0*65, hind toe 0*35. 



Adult female. Exactly similar to the adult male, but the white extends all over the 

 breast, the lower part of the belly alone being silvery cobalt. 



Young male. Similar to the old female, but has a blue lustre pervading the white of 

 the breast, and a blue feather here and there, shewing that the entire breast will ultimately 

 become blue. 



Hab. Amboina and Ceram (Forsten, Wallace). 



This species is closely allied to Halcyon diops, but differs in having the abdomen bright 

 blue in both sexes, so that it can never be confounded with that species. I regret that I 



