LAZULENA. 
must be utilised in place of Haley on, the type of which by original designation 
is H. senegalensis (Linne). 
Examination of the type of Halcyon shows that the Austrahan King- 
fishers have little affinity with the African ones, and so that Australian 
ornithologists can see the differences I have had the accompanying cuts pre- 
pared. Whereas the African birds have the culmen curved and depressed 
towards the tip, the Australian ones have the culmen tending in an upward 
direction, the under mandible thereby becoming differently formed ; in the 
former the first primary is much shorter than the second, whereas in Sauropatis 
it is very nearly the same length, and in Cyanalcyon it is absolutely the longest. 
There can be little doubt that we are here dealing with distinct forms, and that 
the African name cannot be correctly utilised for the Australian birds. As 
a matter of fact the latter would be better placed in Todirhamphus than in 
Halcyon by genus lumpers.” 
I can now call upon Mitchell’s record of the diastataxic wing for the 
absolute recognition of Sauropatis but we still have Cyanalcyon and Todir^ 
hamphus to deal with. Both these names have priority over Sauropatis 
and while the latter might be dismissed on account of its peculiar fiat 
bill and round wing formation, the former does not show such distinctive 
characters. Nevertheless I shall endeavour to show hereafter that slight 
superficial characters must be grasped for the differentiation of the generic 
groups in this family even as Miller has used them in the American etc., 
CerylituB, The most casual examination shows that subdivision of Halcyon 
is most necessary so that an attempt is here made with that perplexing subject. 
In connection with it the species classed under Todirarnphus must be considered 
as these are certainly more closely related phylogenetically to the so-called 
Australian “ Halcyon ” than the latter are to the true “ Halcyon.''^ Eurther, 
even as Sharpe and Miller concluded, colour is of higher value in this family 
than structure. This is well seen in the Todirarnphus series where the colour 
change has been slight but the structural alteration (for the family) great. 
A first consideration of the group shows up some interesting points, such as the 
coincidence of general coloration with geographical range. Thus African species 
generally show a greenish-blue as the predominant colour, yet in this colour- 
group two or more structural groups are combined. In the the Moluccas a 
beautiful purple colour scheme is seen alongside a greenish-blue, which latter 
is quite a distinct grouping from the African one. Coincident with these 
larger groups, isolated minor groups occur, and a careful consideration suggests 
these are as old or older than the larger ones. The exact relationship of some 
of these minor groups is not at all clear but here again I would undoubtedly 
class colour as of much higher value than structure. The most prejudiced 
147 
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