Birds of Celebes; Alcedinidae. 
289 
Is. (Nat. Coll, in Drescl. and Tring Mus.); Sontli Borneo (h 3, 13); 8. E. Sumatra 
fE. C. Buxton 15); Banka (Vosinaer 6 3); Billiton ;Yorclerinan h 11^ b 12, Walter 
15); Mendanao, near Billiton — NB. not Mindanao (Yorderman h 12); Java, 
Lombok, Timor, Timorlaut (Salvad. b 5, h 10); Bali and Sumbawa (Doherty 19). 
This Kingfisher is, very probably — if not a migrant to Celebes — increas- 
ed in numbers by migration to the country during the Australian winter, 
though it occurs in the Province throughout the year. Few specimens have 
been obtained on the mainland of the island; in 1874 there was only one 
example from Celebes in the I.eyden Museum, viz. from Gorontalo, and we can 
only find notice of one specimen from South Celebes, shot by Mr. YCallace 
near Macassar. Meyer met with it only at Kalinaong in the JSF. E. Minahassa 
and gained the impression that it is a rare bird. The only other ornithologist 
who has recorded it from Celebes appears to be Dr. Guillemard, who obtained 
a female specimen at Manado, but we have several from our native hunters 
labelled Tonkean, E. Celebes. It seems to be more common on the smaller 
islands. In June and July our hunters seem to have found it rather plentiful 
in Siao, but less so in Great Sangi in July, judging from the proportion of 
specimens recently sent to the Dresden Museum. Prof W. Blasius records four 
young specimens killed by Dr. Platen’s hunters on Great Sangi in July and 
August, and we have examined a number of specimens from Talaut, Tagulan- 
dang, Banggai, etc. 
In Australia it is known to be a migrant form, though here, as in the 
tropical parts of its range, a few seem always to be met with. Thus Gould 
writes (a 4): “It is a summer resident in New South Wales and throughout 
the southern portion of the continent, retiring northwards after the breeding- 
season. It begins to disappear in December, and by the end of January few 
are to be seen: solitary individuals may however be met with even in the depth 
of winter. They return again in spring, commencing in August, and by the 
middle of September are plentifully dispersed over all parts of the country”. 
In the Mudgee District Cox & Hamilton observe that it arrives early in Sep- 
tember, and it has been noticed there as late as March PL Dr. Sharpe records 
one from North Australia in July, where we suppose it is always present. 
In the East Indies — except the S. E. parts — the great majority of pro- 
perly dated specimens in collections have been obtained when the species is 
away from the southern parts of Australia, i. e. between March and the end of 
September, though here and there individuals killed at other times of the year 
are recorded, showing that the migration to the South east and to Australia is 
not thorough. 
Thus Schlegel records a specimen from Sula, 27*^ November, and Count 
Salvadori one from Halmahera, December, and specimens were obtained by 
our hunters in Talaut in November. 
This bird, like others, sometimes goes astray in its migrations. During 
Meyer & Wigles-wortli, Birds of Celebes (Oct. 30th, 1897). 
