THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Bull, Brit. Orn.. Club, VoL XI., p. 65, 1901, as Alcyone azurea yamdenoe from 
Yamdena Island. 
In the meanwhile Robinson and Laverock, dealing with birds from North 
Queensland {Ibis, 1900, p. 639), called these Alcyone azurea pulchra, writing : 
“ A small series of adult and immature birds from Mounts Sapphir and 
Bellenden Ker seem to belong to this subspecies, although the blue and lilac 
on the flanks is not so pronounced as in the birds from Port Essington. The 
dimensions are slightly larger than those given by Mr. Hartert for specimens 
from Cape York, the wing in the adult birds being 76-77 mm.” 
When I drew up my “ Reference List ” {Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., 1912, 
p. 285), I determined the species as being divisible into five subspecies and 
arranged the species thus — 
Alcyone azurea azurea (Latham). South Queensland, New South 
Wales. 
Alcyone azurea victorioe. 
Differs from A. a. azurea in its more slender bill. T 3 ^e Victoria. 
Victoria, South Australia. 
Alcyone azurea diemenensis (Gould). Tasmania. 
Alcyone azurea pulchra (Gould). Northern Territory, North-west 
Australia. 
Alcyone azurea mixta. 
Differs from A. a. azurea in its slightly smaller size and darker coloration 
below, but it is not as dark below as A. a. pulchra, which it approaches in its 
upper coloration. 
North Queensland. 
At the time this was done I had few specimens from the Northern 
Territory, though good series from North-west Australia. Almost immediately 
after I received birds from the former locality and, as they were obviously 
separable from those from the latter, I named in the Austral Avian Record, 
Vol. I., p. 37, 1912— 
“ Alcyone azurea alisteri. 
Differs from A. a. pulchra in its much longer bill and darker blue 
back. 
Parry’s Creek, North-west Australia.” 
When I prepared my “ List,” I reviewed the species, but was constrained 
to maintain these six subspecies, though at that time I was inclined to strict 
conservatism. When series are considered the differences are easily seen, 
so that the succeeding item needs a little consideration. 
When Ogilvie-Grant discussed New Guinea birds in the Ibis Jubilee 
Supplement, No. 2, 1915, p. 204, he recorded from South-west New Guinea birds 
92 
