CEYX SOLITARI A. 
Solitary Kingfisher. 
Ceyx meninting, Less. Yoy. Coquille, Zool. i. p. 691 (1826). — Cut. Regne An. i. p. 444 (1829). — Less. Traite, 
p. 241 (1831). — Puclier. Rev. et Mag. 1861, p. 345. 
Ceyx solitaria , Temm. PL Col. 595. fig. 2 (1836). — Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 172; 1859, p. 155; 1861, p. 433. — 
Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 271.— Icl. Mouogr. Alced. pi. 38 (1868).— Salvad. Atti R. Accad. Torino, iv. 
p. 474 (1869).— Gray, Hand!. B. i. p. 95 (1869).— Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genoa, vii. p. 765 (1875). 
Alcyone solitaria, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 82 (1847). — Bp. Consp. i. p. 158 (1850). — Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 7, 
taf. cccxcviii. fig. 3067 (1851). — Bp. Consp. Yol. Anis. p. 10, sp. 358 (1854). — Rosenb. J. f. O. 1864, 
p. 118 . 
Alcedo solitaria, Schl. M. P. B. Alcedines, p. 17 (1863). — Id. Voy. Nederl. Ind. Alced. pp. 12, 48, pi. 3. fig. 5 
(1864). — Id. Revue Alced. p. 9 (1874). 
This little three-toed Kingfisher is an inhabitant of New Guinea and the neighbouring islands. The 
original type came from the Bay of Lobo ; and the Leiden Museum has specimens from Sorong, Dorey, and 
Andai, collected by the late Dr. Bernstein and by Von Rosenberg. In the island of Salwatty, Bernstein 
collected examples at KalwaJ and Sailolo ; and it has been sent from the island of Batanta by Yon Rosenberg : 
in the last-named locality Dr, Beccari also met with it. Mr. Hoedt is our authority for the occurrence 
of the bird in Mysol, five individuals being in the Leiden Museum from Waaigama and Kasim. In his 
original * Catalogue of the Kingfishers of the Leiden Museum,’ Professor Scldegel recorded a specimen from 
Ceram ; but Mr. Wallace at the time doubted the occurrence of the species in that island, and it now seems 
that the specimen in question was a Mysol one. Lastly, it occurs in the Aru Islands, whence we saw a 
large series in the collection recently formed there by Mr. Cockerell. Yon Rosenberg’s localities are 
Wokam and Wonoumbai. Mr. Cockerell is likewise our authority for the occurrence of the present species 
in Australia, as specimens were in his last collection from Cape York, and he assures me that Mr. Jardine 
had obtained them in the neighbourhood of Somerset. Beyond this, I have never in all my experience 
heard of the species nor seen a single example, from the Australian continent. 
All that is at present written concerning its economy is contained in the following brief note, commu- 
nicated by Mr. Wallace to Mr. Sharpe’s ‘ Monograph.’ He observes that “ the stomachs of those he killed 
contained the remains of water-beetles and other insects.” 
The present species is distinguished first of all by having only three toes, a peculiarity of the genera Ceuw 
and Alcyone ; and from all the members of the latter it differs by its black bill and yellow belly. 
In the Plate the bird is represented of the natural size, drawn from an Aru-Island specimen in my 
collection. 
