Birds of Celebes: Alcedinidae. 
275 
ourselves able to point to, which goes to confirm the conclusions arrived at by 
Dr. Sharpe from other lines of reasoning - — ■ namely, that Dacelo and Melidora “are 
the most ancient form of Kingfisher extant”, while ^'Alcedo, the most special- 
ized type of the family Alcedinidae^ . . . belongs to a more recent development’ 
(Mon. p. XLIV). This seems to be indicated by the immature plumage of 
Ceycopsis fallax of Celebes, which, as Sharpe says (p, XII), presents “a 
recognisable link between the Aethiopian Ispidinae and the Malayan Ceycei\ 
and further on again (p. Xlil) “it unites the characters of the two groups of 
the genus Ceyx^ which converge from opposite sides upon its fianks, as one may 
say; for it is red in general plumage, but has a bright blue back”. We pass 
on, therefore, to the consideration of this interesting Celebesian species, the next 
in our list. 
GENUS CEYCOPSIS Salyad. 
A genus peculiar to the Celebesian area; small Kingfishers about the size 
of a Sparrow, recognisable by their having the inner toe much reduced, shorter 
than the hallux (shorter also than the tarsus and less than half the length of 
the middle toe); hill red, about half as long again as the head, rather fiat, at 
the base across the nostrils about as broad as it is high; tail small, shorter than 
the bill; wing rather short, 2"^ and I*’’ quills longest, a little shorter. 
Two closely allied species, inhabiting Celebes and Sangi respectively. 
4- * 86. CEYCOPSIS FALLAX (SchL). 
Fallacious three-toed Kingfisher. 
Plate X. 
a. Dacelo fallax (1) SchL, Ned. Tdschr. Dierk. 1866,111, 187; (2) id.. Revue Alcedin. 1874, 
32; (3) Rosenh., Malay. Archip. 1878, 272, 584. 
Ceycopsis fallax (1) Salvad., Atti Acc. Sc. Torino 1869, 447; (II) Sharpe, Monogr. Alcedin. 
1870, pp. XII, XXIX, XLI, XLYI, 135, pi. 48; (3) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, YDI, 
49, 112; (4) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 63, partim; (5) W. Bias., J. f. O. 1883, 136; (6) 
Guillem., P. Z. S. 1886, 548; (7) id., Cruise “Marchesa” 1886, II, 198; (8) 
W. Bias., Ornis 1888, 572, partim; (9) Sharpe, Cat. B. XYH, 1892, 190; (IQj 
Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1896, 158; (11) id., ib. 1897, 163. 
b. Ceyx fallax (1) Gray, HL. 1871, m, 227; (2) Brligg., Abb. Yer. Bremen 1876, Y, 55; 
(3) Tristr., Cat. Coll. B. 1889, 92. 
•‘K-adja udang mera ketjil”, Minabassa, Nat. Coll. 
Figure and descriptions. Sharpe II, 9\ Scblegel a 1, a 2, Bruggemann h 2. 
Adult. General colour above dark reddish hazel: head above including nape brownish 
black spangled with bright ultramarine-blue, each feather having a subterminal spot; 
on middle wing-coverts a few spots of a rather lighter colour, lores ferruginous; 
ear -coverts and cheeks also ferruginous, hut washed with purple of a magenta 
tint into which the blue of the head-spots passes on the sides of the crown; lower 
back and rump whitish turquoise-blue, becoming azure-blue on the upper tail-coverts ; 
quills anc] tail dusky; chin and throat white; feathers of ear-coverts continued 
35 * 
