V 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
student would be fain to confess tliis were he to study this group. After reading 
Miller’s Revision, I feel sorry that he did not continue his analysis of the King- 
fishers through the “ genus ” Halcyon as it would have been a most valuable 
contribution to our systematic knowledge of birds. Sharpe’s Halcyon, which 
was accepted with reservation, is quite inacceptable, the synonymy given 
being sufficient indication of the heterogeneous nature of the assemblage. He 
did not separate the genus into sections but arranged them by means of 
coloration so that the phylogenetic alliance was not at all indicated, unless 
that should depend on coloration. Gray in 1869 had suggested the 
relationships of the species by classing them in subgenera and I note 
Halcyon s. str. ranged over Africa and into Arabia, Ghelicutia Africa alone, 
Entomdbia from Asia Minor through India to China and the Philippines, 
Java and Borneo ; Calialcyon India to Celebes and Japan ; Cyanalcyon 
Celebes to North Australia and Solomon Islands, and Tonga ; Sauropatis 
Australia, New Zealand, India through Moluccas to Tonga, Feejee and 
Philippines ; Todiramphus Society, Friendly and Samoan Islands ; Caridagrus, 
Sumatra, Java and Borneo : Astacophilus and Actenoides Philippines. 
These groups are fairly natural but most should be generically utilised, 
good anatomical characters having already been put forward in the cases 
of Calialcyon, Sauropatis and Todiramphus. . . It is suggested that 
even better characters might be found in the cases of Caridagrus and 
Actenoides. 
However, to particularise, the type of Halcyon is senegalensis L., and 
this species is typical of an African group, the structural features of which 
I have already given. In addition the coloration is characteristic. It should 
be here noted that there is little difference throughout the group in the nature 
and size of the small feet, the wings are proportionately alike but good 
characters exist in the proportion of the primaries : the tail is generally 
medium, graduated so that a short-tailed species attracts especial attention. 
The bill is long and generally of such a breadth, height and depth that a more 
depressed broader bill, shorter rounder bill, or deeper compressed bill 
emphasises a colour distinction. Further, a generic value seems to be 
expressed in the coloration of the bill, a majority having the mandibles 
differently coloured, a few unicolor red, some unicolor black. It is valuable 
from a systematic view-point when the coloration and shape of the bill coincides 
with a distinct style of coloration which is emphasised by a peculiar wing- 
formula and such groups are here considered as of generic value and are 
designated as such. 
The coloration of senegalensis {Halcyon s. str.) can be roughly given as 
follows : Upper coloration generally greenish-blue : a black shoulder-patch, 
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