CEYX GENTIAN A, Tristram. 
Gentian Kingfisher. 
Ceyx gentiana, Tristram, Ibis, 1879, p. 438, pi. xi. — Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, i. p. 423 (1880). 
Canon Tristram has kindly lent us the type specimen of this lovely Kingfisher, which was discovered by 
Lieut. Richards in Maikara Harbour, in the island of San Christoval, one of the Solomon group. 
The original specimen is in the collection of Canon Tristram, who pointed out the characters of the 
species in 6 The Ibis ’ (/. c.). The plate by Mr. Smit, accompanying his paper, gives a poor repre- 
sentation of the species, the colouring of the bird being quite wrong in tint, and the long scapulars 
being left out altogether. The species is, however, a very distinct one, the only other Ceyoc with a 
black bill being C. solitario , which is yellow below. 
The following is a description of the typical specimen : — 
Adult female (type of species). Mantle and scapulars black, washed with purplish blue, the feathers 
being mesially streaked with dark cobalt; entire back, rump, and upper tail-coverts bright silvery 
greenish cobalt, a little more purplish on the latter; lesser, median, and inner greater coverts black, 
tipped with purplish blue, with a narrow mesial line of cobalt ; remainder of the greater coverts, bastard- 
wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, slightly shaded with purplish blue externally ; tail-feathers black, 
edged with purplish blue; crown of head black, all the feathers tipped with purplish blue, each feather 
with a central line of brighter cobalt ; the spots thicker on the nape and hind neck, which appear 
almost entirely purplish blue ; lores and base of forehead black, with a white loral spot ; feathers round 
eye, ear-coverts, and cheeks black, the feathers mesially streaked with purplish blue ; throat and under 
surface of body white, as also a longitudinal patch on the sides of the neck ; the upper breast with a patch 
of black feathers washed with blue ; flanks with black streaks ; thighs blackish ; under tail-coverts white, 
tipped with purplish blue; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, with a black bar across the former; 
quills below dusky, white along the edge of the inner web : “ bill black ; feet flesh-colour ; iris bluish 
black” (Richards). Total length 5*5 inches, eulmeri 1*55, wing 255, tail Tl, tarsus 0*45. 
The Plate illustrates the species, of the natural size, in two positions. The figures are drawn from 
the specimen lent to us by Canon Tristram. 
[R. B. S.] 
