Order— A LCEDINIFORMES. 
(Superficially the Kingfishers form a well-marked group of a very distinctive 
character. Attractive in coloration and generally in shape, though this is of 
special evolution, they served for the first Monograph prepared by R. B. Sharpe, 
afterwards Dr. Bowdler Sharpe of the British Museum. Previously the 
famous Kaup had monographed them, and later Sharpe prepared the Catalogue 
of the Birds in the British Museum dealing with these birds. In that Catalogue 
(Vol. XVII.) the suborder Halcyones included four families, the Alcedinidce, 
Momotidce, Todidoe and Coliidce. 
I only deal with species grouped in the first “ family,” the others being 
unrepresented in the Australian Avifauna. 
Sharpe’s family was subdivided into two subfamilies as follows — 
“ Bill long and slender, compressed and perceptibly 
keeled. Habits mainly piscivorous . . . . Alcedinince. 
Bill more or less depressed ; culmen rounded, or 
flattened, sometimes even grooved. Habits 
mainly insectivorous or reptilivorous . . . . DacelonincB.^' 
Such definitions are comparatively valueless, as the student would never 
consider the bill of Dacelo, the type of Dacelonince, as depressed were he 
not advised to do so in the above. The habits would be a bad key to 
family rank, though they might be considered in conjunction with other 
features when genera are being utilised. The culmen keeling would appear to 
be also an uncertain feature. 
According to Sharpe, the only Australian member of the typical subfamily 
would be Alcyone, but he allotted Geyx to the other subfamily, which seems 
quite unnatural. 
In his Synopsis to the families he wrote : — ^ 
“ Bill not serrated ; caeca none . . . . . . Alcedinidce. 
Bill serrated ; caeca none . . . . . . . ; Momotidce 
and then among the members of the Alcedinidce he cited a genus with “ Tomia 
serrated.” 
It is obvious, therefore, that emendations were inevitable, but these have 
been long delayed through Sharpe’s high authority. Further genus-lumpers 
have been generally content to accept the associations, though the first survey 
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