294 
Birds of Celebes: Alcedinidae. 
to bo taken for a smaller race. For a long time we took a small series of specimens 
from Talaut for a race of the small H. so/nctd (n n 2)^ then with an increased 
series of about 25 specimens we labelled it with a ? “small race of cMom”; finally, 
having studied the young and found every possibly transition between specimens with 
bills of 30 to adnlts with bills 47 mm in length, it appears obvious that the small 
specimens are simply young ones which have not yet 
Measurements. 
attained 
Wing 
their 
Tail 
full size. 
Bill from 
nostril 
Tarsus 
North Celebes, 10 adults 
105-114 
66 c. 
33.5-40.5 
13 c. 
North Celebes, 2 imm 
104, 105 
65, 68 
33.5-38 

8. Cel, Tanette, 1 ad., 8ept., Maros, Q ad., Nov. 1871 
109-114 
62-65 
35, 35 

Manado tua and Mantehage Is., 4 imm., Aprd 1893 
108-112 
65 c. 
33.5-41 

Banka Id. off the Minahassa, 2 ad.. May 1893 . . 
105, 106 
63, 70 
37.5-42.5 

8iao, 1 ad., June 1893 . . • 
114 
68 
40 

8iao, 2 imm., June 1893 
104, 105 
62,64 
34, 36 

Great 8angi, 3 ad., July 1893 
104-111 
68-69 
37-41 

Togian Is., ad., Q ad., August 1871 . . . . 
103, 106 
65, 65 
37, 37 

Talaut Is., Kabruang, 0 ad., 8alibabu, 2ad., Oct.-Nov. 93 
110-118 
68-75 
43-46 

Talaut Is., Kabruang, 4 imm., Nov. 1893 .... 
108-113 
66-73 
38-43 

East Celebes, Peling and Banggai — 33 examples 
102-119 
— 
36-47 
— 
Young and immature specimens. 
Karkellang, 12, Kabruang, 1, late autumn 93,94,96 
90-104 
54-65 
30-38 
13 c. 
E. Celebes and Peling, 5 juv.. May- August 1896 . 
101-105 
— 
34-37 
— 
Eggs. Mindanao: 4 in number; 28.7 — 31.2 x 23.1 — 24.0 mm; pure 
white , 
smooth, glossy. 
short oval, or somewhat ovate, fine-grained with pores only slightly indicated 
(Kutter k S); Labuan: 3, pure white; 29.2 — 30.5 X 24.1 — 25.4 (Sharpe cl 6). 
Nest. In holes in trees, or in a termites’ nest (Kutter k 8). The Sarasin Collection contains 
a fragment of the rotten stem of a tree with a hole of about 45 mm diam. through 
it, apparently pecked out by the bird, and the lining of the nest, consisting only of 
a small quantity of vegetable fibres and grasses (Tomohon, orig. label lost). 
Breeding season. Mindanao, March and April (Kutter); Lahuan, nest found March 22''"^ 
(Low d 6). 
Distribution. In the Celebes Province: — Talaut Is. (Nat. Coll. Dresden & Tring Museums) 
Great Sangi (Bruijn k 4, Platen k 12, Nat. Coll.); Siao (Hoedt I 3, v. Duivenb. I 3: 
Nat. Coll.); Tagulandang, Kuang (Nat. Coll.); Talissi (Hicks, k 14)] Banka, Mantehage, 
Manado tua and Lembeh (Nat. Coll.); Minahassa (Meyer k5, etc.); Gorontalo 
(Bosenb. 13, etc.); Togian Is. (Meyer k 5, ml)] E. Celebes (Nat. Coll.); Kandari, 
8. E. Peninsula (Beccari /i: 4); South Peninsula (Wall. 7c 2, Platen Tcii, Meyer /i; 5, 
Weber d 11)] Peling and Banggai (Nat. Coll.); Sula Islands — Sula Besi (Wall. 
j 1, Bernst. I 3). 
As , is commonly supposed to be the case with excessively numerous species, 
this Kingfisher is subject to very considerable individual variation — for a 
Kingfisher indeed, in which family the species are very stable, the individual 
variation of H. chloris may he termed great. A couple of hundred specimens or 
more of this species from the Celebesian area have passed through our hands in 
