HALCYON STICTO L AGM A.

Spotted-throated Kingfisher.

Cyanaleyon stictolema, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. ix. p. 20 (1876).—Id “4
D’Albert. & Salvad. op. cit. xiv. p. 51 (1879), ED) 20, OP. Cit. X. p. 304 (1877) —

Halcyon nigrocyanea, D’ Albert. (nec Wallace), Ibis, 1876, p. 360

Cyanalecyon nigrocyanea, D’ Albert. (nec Wallace), Ann. Mus. Civic Genov. x. pp. 10, 19 (1877)
; SST (Da) ea 77).

 

7 Fre. ® aaa © INI T S s
Very similar to the Halcyon nigrocyanea of North-western New Guinea, in my opinion the present species is
nevertheless quite distinct. Nobody examining the two species could, I believe, hesitate to separate them
’

nthe no » foe ¢ ws ’ ee : oe : Ee -
ay cestanding a Hees that Signor D’Albertis, who discovered this new Kingfisher in South-eastern
New Guinea, considered it to be precisely the same as Halcyon nigrocyanea, a bird he had kil
North-western New Guinea.

led himself in

The present species is like Halcyon mgrocyanea, but differs at a glance by the want of the white band
across the breast, and by having the throat almost entirely blue, mottled with white bases to the feathers.
The female bird is nearly the same as the female of the allied species ; but H. stictolema has much less white
on the throat and abdomen, while the pectoral band is much broader. The habitat of the species is, as far
as is known at present, only the vicinity of the river Fly, where Signor D’Albertis obtained one specimen
during his first expedition in 1875. On his second excursion, in 1877, he managed to procure six examples,
which are fully described by himself and Count Salvadori in the fourteenth volume of the ‘Annali’ of the
Civic Museum of Genoa. Three of these were most kindly lent to me by Signor D’Albertis for the purposes
of the present work ; and I have to acknowledge my obligations to this gentleman for his assistance on this
and other occasions.

Mr. Sharpe, who has seen the specimens, has supplied me with the following descriptions :—

«© ddult male. General colour above black, the head deep ultramarine, the sides of the crown more brilliant
ultramarine inclining to cobalt, forming an eyebrow which borders the blue crown and encircles the nape ;
wing-coverts ultramarine, the lesser ones slightly more brilliant ; quills blackish, externally washed with dull
blue ; scapulars black, washed with blue at the ends; lower back cobalt, deepening mto ultramarine on the
longer feathers of the rump; upper tail-coverts deep ultramarine; tail-feathers dark blue; lores, feathers
round the eye, cheeks, ear-coverts, sides of neck, sides of breast, flanks, thighs, vent, and under tail-coverts
black, the letter tipped with ultramarine ; chin black ; throat ultramarine proitlenl with white bases to the
feathers ; breast and abdomen rich ultramarine ; under wing-coverts and axillaries ae edge of wing
greenish blue ; quills dusky blackish below, ashy along the inner web. Total length 9 inches, culmen 2°20,
wing 3°25, tail 3, tarsus 95.

© Adult female. On the upper
abdomen white, separated by a broad pectoral band wl
sides of body and flanks black ; under wing-coverts blac
A wing-coverts being tipped with white ; unt

surface entirely like the male, but differs below in having the throat and
rich is ultramarine in the middle, black at the sides ;
k, with a band of white running down the iniddle,
ler tail-coverts as in
many of the median and greater under
the male.

( emale is re dusky
« Young. Resembles the old female, but is much more dusk; oe
; d with blue; lower back bright ultramarine, but not so

vent, and lower abdomen dusky black ; throat dull

black, the crown being also black, with an

ultramarine eyebrow; wing-coverts black, tippe
brilliant as in the adults ; sides of face and sides of body,
d with dusky blackish tips; centre
ntral feathers washed w

1 | of abdomen pale ochraceous brown, separated
| as i he ce ith blue ; under tail-coverts blackish,
from the throat by a broad blackish band, the ce
tipped with blue.”

Count Salvadori describes some of the males y

an c . apror 10°
the remains of the young plumage. The adults, accoran g a
feet clear plumbeous, and the iris chestnut-brown ; and in ine Oe :
The food of the species consists of Crustacea. So
) adult male adult female, and a young female, drawn to abou
d ) 19 :
nt to me by Signor D ’Albertis.

i | PF rusty feathers she abdomen,
as having a residue of rusty feathers on ine é 7
to Signor D’Albertis, have the bill black the
s the iris is black, and the

feet are very dusky plumbeous.
The figures in the Plate represent al

: 1
2 > LC) > Ne N, > 4 2S ie
the natural size from three of the typi al specimens,

TONS.

.)