﻿TAN YSIPTER A NAIS. 



(CERAM KINGFISHER.) 



Tanysiptera nais . Gray, P. Z. S. 1860, pp. 346, 347 ; Wall. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 24; Gray, Handl. 



of B. I, p. 90 (1869) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 631. 

 Tanysiptera dea (pt.) . Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Alced. p. 43 (1863) ; id. Yog. Ned. Ind. Alced. pp. 33, 62 



(1864); id. Ned. Tijdschr. 1866. p. 273. 



T. macula dorsali alba nulla : uropygio albo : cauda spatulata : genis, regione parotica et collo postico 

 saturate ca>ruleis : pileo eoncolori : tectricibus supracaudalibus omnino albis : dorso cyaneo maculato. 



Hob. in insulis " Ceram" " Amboina" dictis. 



Adult. Head shining cobalt ; cheeks, ear-coverts, sides and back of the neck and 

 upper portion of the back deep blue, distinctly spotted with cobalt on the latter ; middle 

 of the back and scapulars deep blue ; wing-coverts bright cobalt, the outer ones deep 

 blue ; quills black, Avashed externally with bright blue ; lower portion of the back and 

 tail-coverts pure white ; tail-feathers white, narrowly edged with blue on the outer web, 

 the two middle feathers very long, white at the base, the rest of the feather blue as far as 

 the spatula which is white ; entire under surface white, with a tinge of cream- colour ; bill 

 sealing-wax red ; feet olive-brown. Total length 16 inches, of bill from front 1*3, from 

 gape 1'9; wing 4*2, tail 4*2, middle rectrices 10'2, tarsus 0*5, middle toe 0*7, hind toe 025. 



Young. Head deep cobalt, brighter over the eye ; cheeks, ear-coverts and back of 

 neck deep blue-black, mottled with blue on the latter as in the adult ; back and scapulars 

 dark brown, slightly marked with rufous on the latter ; wing-coverts black, more broadly 

 edged with rufous and exhibiting a tinge of blue here and there ; quills dark brown 

 slightly washed with blue near the base of the outer web, the secondaries slightly margined 

 with rufous-brown ; lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts fulvous-white, 

 broadly margined with blackish ; tail-feathers fulvous-white at the base, broadly margined 

 with blackish ; middle tail-feathers blueish, broadened slightly toAvards the apex, Avhite at 

 base of both webs and longitudinally marked with fulvous white near the tip ; entire under 

 surface fulvous, becoming Avhite in one or two places, all the feathers margined with 

 blackish, developing into tAvo large black patches on either side of the upper part of the 

 breast; bill dull sealing-Avax red; feet olive broAvn. 



Hab. Ceram (Wallace), Amboina (Wallace). 



