294 
Birds of Celebes: Alcedinidae. 
to be 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. sancta (n 1, n 2), then with an increased 
series of about 25 specimens we labelled it with a ? “small race of chloris"’’, finally, 
having studied the young and found every possibly transition between specimens with 
bills of 30 to adults with bills 47 mm in length, it appears obvious that the small 
specimens are simply young ones which have not yet attained their full size. 
Measurements. 
AVing 
Tail 
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 

S. Cel, Tanette, 1 ad.. Sept., Maros, $ ad., Nov. 1871 
109-114 
62-65 
35, 35 

Manado tua and Mantehage Is., 4 imm., April 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 
— 
Siao, 1 ad., June 1893 
114 
68 
40 
— 
Siao, 2 imm., June 1893 
104, 105 
62,64 
34, 36 

Great Sangi, 3 ad., July 1893 
104-111 
68-69 
37-41 
— 
Togian Is., cf ad., Q ad., August 1871 . . . . 
103, 106 
65,65 
37, 37 
— 
Talaut Is., Kabruang, 0 ad., Salibabu, 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, Pehng and Banggai — 33 examples 
102-119 
— 
36-47 
— 
Young and immature specimens. 
Karkellang, 12, Kabruang, 1, late autumn 93,91,90 
90-104 
54-65 
30-38 
13 c. 
E. Celebes and Peling, 5 jiiv.. 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 6f); Labuan: 3, pure white; 29.2 — 30.5 X 24.1 — 25.4 (Sharpe d 6). 
Nest. In holes in trees, or in a tei-mites’ nest (Kutter /i S). The Sarasin Collection contains 
a fragment of the rotten stem of a tree with a hole of about 45 mm diain. tlmough 
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); Labuan, 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, Ruang (Nat. Coll.); TaUssi (Hicks, k 14)] Banka, Mantehage, 
Manado tua and Leinbeli (Nat. Coll); Minahassa (Meyer k 5, etc.); Gorontalo 
(Rosenb. 13, etc.); Togian Is. (Meyer k 5, ml)] E. Celebes (Nat. Coll); Kandari, 
S. E. Peninsula (Beccari A; 4); South Peninsula (Wall. A 2, Platen AD, Meyer A 5, 
AVeber d 11)] Peling and Banggai (Nat. Coll); Sula Islands — Sula Besi (AYall. 
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 II. chloris may be termed great. A couple of hundred specimens or 
more of this species from the Celebesian area have passed through our hands in 
