50 
back, scapulars, and innermost secondaries deep green with an olivaceous tinge; rump deep ultra- 
marine ; upper tail-coverts turquoise-blue; wings and tail deep rich ultramarine-blue, the wings 
brighter on the lesser coverts, most of the quills margined with black on the inner web; ear-coverts 
nearly black ; neck nearly ultramarine-blue striped with lighter blue ; crissum and under tail-coverts 
rich ultramarine-blue: bill black; iris deep brown; legs blackish brown. Total length about 
12 inches, culmen 1’75, wing 7*5, tail 5‘5, tarsus 1‘05. 
Adult female (Celebes).—Resembles the male, but is rather less brilliant in tone of colour. 
Young (N. Celebes).—Differs from the adult in being duller in colour; crown of a much paler 
and duller blue ; underparts sooty blackish, with only a faint blue wash on the abdomen ; throat and 
breast striped with dull bluish white. 
Temmiis^ck’s or the Blue-headed Roller inhabits the Malay Archipelago, and is said to have been met 
with in New Guinea; but this is denied by Salvadori, who states that no species of Coracias inhabits 
that island, and that Quoy and Gaimard are wrong in saying that it inhabits the harbour of Dorey, 
and this opinion is confirmed by Beccari. Dr. A. B. Meyer met with it near Menado in June, 
and at Limbotto in July 1871. Gray in his ‘ Hand-list ’ gives its habitat as the Sula Islands and 
Celebes, and I have examined many specimens from the latter locality; Wallace records it from 
Macassar, Forsten from Kema, Guillemard from Kema and Menado, and von Rosenberg from Kema, 
Gorontalo, and Modelido. 
With regard to its habits. Dr. Meyer says that “ it usually flies singly, but after feeding several 
play together. They frequently sit on dead twigs and look out for grasshoppers and other insects; 
then suddenly rushing upon their prey they return to their perch.” Wallace, however, writes that 
“ they generally go in pairs, flying from tree to tree, and exhibiting while at rest that all-in-a-heap 
appearance and jerking motion of the head and tail which are so characteristic of the great 
Fissirostral group to which it belongs.” Wallace remarks that it has a most discordant voice, 
and Dr. Meyer describes its note as tscliirrrr. 
So far as I can ascertain nothing has been recorded respecting the breeding-habits and 
nidification of this Roller, but doubtless, like its congeners, it nests in hollow trees and deposits 
white eggs. 
The adult specimen figured and described is in my own collection, and the young bird described 
is in the British Museum. 
In the preparation of the above article I have, besides the series in the British Museum, 
examined the following specimens :— 
E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 
a, ?. Celebes {Eyton Collection), h, $. Celebes [Whitely). c, Celebes {Wartvick; ex Eyton Coll.). 
E Mus. H. B. Tristram. 
a. Celebes {W. W. Saunders).' h. N. Celebes [von Faber). 
