212 



ORNITHOLOGY, 



6. TODIRAMPHUS SORDIDTJS (GouId) . 



HaJcyon sordicla, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1842, p. 72. 



Gould, B. of Aust. II, Plate XXIII ; Reichenbach, Vollst. Naturg. 

 Birds, Plate CCCCXIX, figs. 3136-37. 



Form. — Size of T. cMoris. Bill long ; ridge of upper mandible distinct, 

 that of the under mandible curved and ascending towards the tip 

 of the bill. Wing with the third and fourth quills longest and 

 nearly equal ; tail moderate ; tarsi short, robust. 



Dimensions. — Total length (of skin), about nine inches; wing, four 

 and one-fourth inches ; tail, three inches. 



Colors. — Adult from Northern Australia. Head above, back, scapu- 

 lars, and wing-coverts, brownish-green. A band from the base of the 

 bill under the eye to the occiput, brownish-black, some feathers of the 

 occiput above the black band, white at their bases; outer webs of quills 

 and tail above light greenish-blue. Collar around the back of the neck, 

 small spot at the nostril, and entire under parts, white, very slightly 

 tinged with dull yellow or buflf. Bill dark ; base of lower mandible 

 white ; legs and feet dark. Under wing-coverts white, some of the 

 feathers narrowly tipped with black. Sexes similar. 



Hab. — Northern Australia. Specimen in Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 



About the size of, and of the same general form as T. cJdoris, but 

 with the bill longer and not so robust. The colors of the upper parts 

 in the present species are entirely different from those of the species 

 mentioned. 



This species is well characterized and easily recognized. Two spe- 

 cimens in Mr. Gould's collection, now in the Museum of the Philadel- 

 phia Academy, and which are the same as figured by him in Birds of 

 Australia, are all that we have seen of this species. It cannot readily 

 be confounded with any other bird of this group. 



