﻿TAN YSIPTERA SYLVIA. 



(CINNAMON-BREASTED KINGFISHER.) 



Tanysiptera sylvia, Gould, P.Z.S. 1850, p. 200. 



Dacelo sylvia, Schl. Mus. Pays Eas, Alced. p. 47 (1863). 



Uralcyon sylvia Heine, Journ. f. Orn. 1859, p. 406. 



Quatawur, of the natives of Cape York Peninsula {Macgillivray). 



T. macula dorsali alba: subtus cinnamomina. 

 Hab. in Australia septentrionali et in Nova, Guinea. 



Male. Crown of the head rich blue, somewhat brighter on the nape ; ear-coverts, sides 

 of the head and upper part of the back, deep black, with a faint tinge of blue on the latter ; 

 below this a patch of white feathers ; scapularies and wing-coverts bright blue ; primaries 

 black, their inner webs light rufous at the base, the outer web (especially of the secondaries) 

 broadly washed with blue ; lower portion of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts pure 

 white ; two middle feathers pure white, the remainder black edged with blue ; entire under 

 surface deep cinnamon ; bill and feet coral-red. Total length 12.5 inches, of bill from front 

 1.3, from gape 1.6, wing 3.7, tail 2.7, middle rectrices 7.5, tarsus 0.45, middle toe 0.6, hind 

 toe 0.3. 



Female. Similar to male, but has a shorter tail, and the outer web of the middle rectrix 

 blue for half its length. 



Hab. Cape York District of North Australia (Gould), New Guinea (Macgillivray). 



Herr F. Heine has separated this Tanysiptera under the proposed new genus Uralcyon, 

 because the two elongated rectrices cross each other, and on account of the abnormal shape 

 of the spatuke at the end of the tail ; but I do not consider these characters of sufficient 

 importance to warrant its generic separation from the other Tanysiptera. 



Mr. Gould, who first described this very beautiful Kingfisher, has published the follow- 

 ing interesting details respecting its habits from the pen of the late Mr. J. Macgillivray : — 

 " This pretty Tanysiptera is rather plentiful in the neighbourhood of Cape York, where it 

 frequents the dense bushes, and is especially fond of resorting to the small sunny openings 

 in the woods, attracted probably by the greater abundance of insect-food found in such 

 places than elsewhere: I never saw it on the ground and usually was first made aware of its 

 presence by the glancing of its bright colours as it darted past with a rapid arrow-like flight, 

 and disappeared in an instant among the dense foliage. Its cry, which may be represented 



Additional references. — Tanysiptera sylvia, Gould, Birds of Austr. suppl, part. I (1851), Kcich. Handb 

 Alced, p. 43, t. ccccvii, fig. 3095-96 (1851), Gray, P.Z.S. 1858, p. 190, id. P.Z.S. 1860. p. 347, id. P.Z.S. 1861, 

 p. 433, Wall, P.Z.S. 1863, p. 24, Ramsay, Ibis, 1865, pp. 325, 326, id. P.Z.S. 1868, p. 383, Diggles, Orn. Austr. 

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