INSESSORES. 



207 



Form. — Compact and robust. Smaller than the preceding ; bill shorter; 

 tarsi and toes more slender, and the latter shorter. Wings, with 

 the third quill slightly longest, but nearly equalled by the second 

 and fourth ; tail rounded. 



Dimensions. — Total length of skin, from tip of bill to end of tail, 

 about eight and a half inches ; wing, three and three-fourths inches ; 

 tail, two and three-fourths inches. 



Colors. — A conspicuous band from the nostril over the eye to the 

 occiput, white, tinged with orange. Head above from the bill to the 

 occiput, fine blue, which color is completely inclosed, except at the 

 base of the bill, by the white band commencing at the nostril, the 

 orange tinge of which latter is most observable on the edges of this 

 blue color. At the base of the bill, slightly under its base, and from 

 behind the eye, a band of the same fine blue extends to the occiput, 

 but the feathers of which are black at their bases ; back, rump, wings 

 and tail blue, with a shade of prussian-green on the back, and inclin- 

 ing to ultramarine on the wings and tail, and cobalt on the rump. 

 Entire inferior surface of the body, and collar around the neck, white. 

 Tibia blue; bill, with the superior and point of the inferior mandible, 

 brownish-black; base of the inferior mandible white. 



Young male? is Dacelo coronata, Peale (PI. XV, fig. 2). 



Bill rather shorter than in the adult. Broad frontal band and wide 

 stripe extending over the eye to the occiput, white, tinged with orange 

 buff. Vertical spot fine blue, widely edged with the deep orange buff 

 which fades into white ; band from behind the ear to the occiput nar- 

 row, with the blue color distinct only immediately behind the eye, and 

 nearly black thence to the occiput. This occipital baud almost obsolete 

 in some specimens, or its place only indicated by a band of pale orange. 



Entire inferior surface from the base of the under mandible and wide 

 collar around the hind neck white, in some specimens, slightly tinged 

 with very pale buff, and the collar on the neck behind, edged with a 

 deeper tint of the same color. Back, rump, wings, and tail, as in the 

 adult. Tibia brownish, with some feathers of pale blue, and others 

 of buff; bill as in the adult. 



Specimens from Tutuila, in the Samoan Islands. 



