i 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
equal to the seventh, the second equal to the fifth, and the third and 
fourth subequal, but little longer. There is thus as much difference 
in structure between these two as between these and Syma. The logical 
sequence is the recognition of each generically, and I therefore propose 
Antisyma, with Alcedo australasia Vieillot as type, and Hyposyma, with 
Halcyon cinnamomina Swainson as type. In coloration there is a series 
in the former showing the loss of the coloured crown, which lacking in 
the latter, is a sexual feature in Syma, though here also it is showing 
decrease in the subspecies. Further, the bill in Syma has developed in 
most races a wholly red colour, whereas in the former it is always parti- 
coloured. 
A well defined group is the macleayi series. For this species. Halcyon 
macleayi Jardine and Selby, I here propose the genus name Lazulena. 
This is the Cyanalcyon of Cabanis and Heine, but not of Bonaparte as 
fixed by Gray. The striking coloration is pecufiar, and it is accompanied 
by a strange colour difference in the sexes and no difference in the 
immature plumage. Structurally this series has shorter, more conical 
bills than Halcyon, with the culmen flattened and the feet more slender 
and dehcate : the bill is constantly black, with the basal portion of the 
lower mandible whitish. 
The wing has the tip consisting of four primaries with the secondaries 
short : the first primary is about equal to the fourth and httle exceeded 
by the second and third, which are longest and subequal. The tail is 
long with httle graduation. The sexual colour differences are extra- 
ordinary: in one species, leucopygia, it consists of a white rump in the male, 
the female having a purple-blue one : in macleayi the male has a white 
collar on the hind neck which is not present in the female : in diops a 
further phase is seen as the white collar of the male is missing in the 
female, which has then developed a blue band across the chest. Still a 
different scheme is seen in lazuli, which has apparently no white collar 
above in the male, but closely examined the bases are seen to be white. 
The lower surface shows the throat and breast white in the male, the 
abdomen greenish-blue : in the female the throat only is white, the breast 
and abdomen greenish-blue. A rare species, farquhari Sharpe, belongs to 
this group, but according to the sexed series available there is no difference 
in the sexes : this species shows a black head, all the above having 
purple-blue heads, a white collar above, white throat and all the breast 
and abdomen deep buff-red. A species which I have not seen. Halcyon 
alhonotata Ramsay, appears referable here, but the sexes do not appear 
to be known : its white back seems a good specific feature. 
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