TANYSIPTERA MICRORH YNCH A, Sharpe. 
Port-Moresby Racket-tailed Kingfisher. 
Tanysiptera galatea, var. minor, Salvad. et d’ Albert. Arm. Mus. Civic. Genov, vii. p. 815 (1875). — Salvad. op. cit. 
ix. p. 21 (1876). — Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, p. 752. — D’ Albert. & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, 
xiv. p. 49 (1879). — Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iv. p. 90 (1879). 
Tanysiptera microrJiyncha, Sharpe, Proc. Linn. Soc. xiii. pp. 311, 493 (1878), xiv. pp. 629, 686 (1879). 
Tanysiptera galatea, pt., Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, i. p. 439 (1880). — Finsch, Vogel der Siidsee, 
p. 24 (1884). 
The Racket-tailed Kingfisher from South -eastern New Guinea is closely allied to the ordinary T. galatea 
of the north-western portion of the island, but it is decidedly smaller, and has the back black with less 
blue. Whether the latter is a good character remains to be proved, as we find that it varies somewhat, 
a specimen collected by Mr. Broadbent having the hack strongly washed with purplish blue, contrasting 
with the head and wing-spot, which were rich silvery cobalt. It is probable that this is the very old 
male bird, but the full changes of plumage in the species require to he worked out. 
In South-eastern and Southern New Guinea the present species seems to have a wide range. 
Mr. Hunstein met with it at East Cape, and the Rev. W. G. Lawes at Walter Bay. It also occurs 
in the interior portions of the Port Moresby district, as Dr. Finsch records it from the Goldie and 
Laloki Rivers, Mr. Goldie in the Morocco district, and Mr. H. O. Forbes in the Sogeri district of the 
Astrolabe Mountains. Signor D’Albertis procured specimens at Naiabui, Yule Island, Mount Epa, and 
Hall Bay ; he also met with the species on the Fly River. 
The following description is a copy of the one originally given by us (/. cl) : — 
Adult female. Crown of head and nape cobalt-blue, a little brighter round the edge of the crown and 
on the nape, and slightly dashed with silvery cobalt over the eye, the forehead rather duller blue; lores, 
feathers below the eye, and the ear-coverts black, slightly washed with deep blue, as also are the sides of 
neck, mantle, back, and scapulars, on which, however, the blue shade is not so apparent; wings black, the 
wing-coverts and secondaries externally deep purplish blue, the innermost of the greater and median 
coverts bright cobalt, forming a shoulder-patch ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white, 
the latter with an indistinct narrow fringe of dark blue ; tail white, the outer feathers more or less 
edged with blue, towards the tip, the two long centre feathers blue, with a long white spatula, the base of 
these two plumes irregularly white in the centre and along the inner edge, the next two feathers with 
remains of blue near the base of the shaft ; moustache and entire under surface of body pure white, the 
sides of the upper breast black ; under wing-coverts white, the lesser plumes on the upper band of the wing 
blue-black, shading into brighter blue on the edge of the wing itself; bill red ; feet dusky. Total length 
155 inches, culmen T3, wing 4, tail 3'9, centre feathers 9 7, tarsus 0 6. 
The specimen figured in the Plate represents an adult bird procured by Mr. H. O. Forbes in the Sogeri 
district in South-eastern New Guinea. 
[R. B. S.] 
