﻿CITTURA SANGHIEENSIS. 



(SANGHIR KINGFISHER.) 



Cittura sangMrensis, . . . Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1868, p. 270, pi. xxvii. 



C. major : fronte et macula ad basin mandibular nigris, albo punctatis : capitis lateribus saturate caeruleis, 

 albo punctatis. 



Hab. in insula dicta " Sanghir" maris Celebensis. 



Head rufescent, lighter on the nape; back dark straw-colour, much paler on the outer 

 edge of the scapularies; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers deep rufous; wing-coverts 

 deep blue-black ; wing-feathers blackish, the exterior web edged with dark blue, the inner 

 web of the secundaries broadly edged with straw-colour; forehead and a patch of feathers 

 at the base of the lower mandible black, with very small white spots ; the sides of the head 

 deep blue-black, with distinct white spots at the tip of each feather; chin white; cheeks, 

 ear-coverts, sides of the neck and upper part of the breast lilac, with violet reflexions; 

 lower part of the breast, abdomen, and under wing-coverts whitish, tinged with fulvous ; 

 bill very deep coral red ; feet yellowish -brown. Total length 9.7 inches, of bill from 

 front 1.5, from gape 2.01, wing 4.6, tail 4.2, tarsus 0.5, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.4. 



Hab. Sanghir (von Rosenberg). 



This very handsome bird was first described by me at a meeting of the Zoological 

 Society on May 14th, 1868, and was figured in the " Proceedings" for that year. The 

 rarity of Cittura cyanotis (hitherto the only known species of this extraordinary genus), 

 renders the discovery of a new and finer species of very great interest. The original 

 specimen was purchased by me of Mr. Frank, of Amsterdam, to whom it was sent 

 from the island of Sanghir, a little to the north of Celebes. Several specimens were received 

 by him, two of which are in the Leiden Museum, and two in the British Museum, while 

 the type is in my own collection. 



The present species may be distinguished from C. cyanotis by its larger size, black 

 forehead, and also by the deep blue-black colour of the sides of the head, each feather 

 being pointed with white. A reference to the plates will sufficiently indicate the differ- 

 ences existing in the two species. 



I have lately purchased from the " Maison Verreaux" a specimen of what I 

 believe to be the young of the present bird. It was sold to me as Cittura cyanotis from 

 Celebes. It is, however, certainly not of that species, as the white spots on the feathers at the 

 sides of the head are plain enough. On the other hand it has not any appearance of* a black 

 forehead, and only a very slight developement of the mandibular patch of black feathers, 

 without any of the characteristic white spots. Notwithstanding the locality whence this 



