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HALCYON LEUCOPYGIA.
White-backed Kinerfisher.

Cyanalcyon leucopygius, Verr. Rev. et Mac.
(1877).

Halcyon leucopygia, Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Isl. Pacific Ocean, p. 7 (1859).—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869 p. 119.—
Gray, eon 2 1 SOMOS (1869).—Sharpe, Monogr. Alced. pl. 74 (1871).—Ramsay, Proc.

Linn. Soc. N. S. W. iv. p. 67 (1879).—Salvad. Ibis, 1880, ee ie

Todirhamphus leucopygius, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 124.

Cyanaleyon leucopygia, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. x. p. 305 (1877).—Id. Orn. Papuasia, ete. i p. 456
(1880). a

de Zool. 1858, p. 385.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. x. p. 305

 

Tuts beautiful Kingfisher was until recently one of the rarest of the family in European collections ; for when
the ‘Monograph of the Kingfishers’ was written but one specimen, the type in the British Museum, was
known to naturalists, and this was figured in the work above mentioned. Since then the only naturalist who
has met with the species in its native haunts has been Mr. Cockerell, who procured a large series in Guadal-
canar in the Solomon Archipelago. His collection was described by Mr. Ramsay, who was the first to point
out the difference in the colouring of the sexes, the white back, from which the species derives its name,
being apparently the sign of the male, as the female has the lower back beautiful blue. The lilac colour
which is so distinct on the sides of the lower back in both sexes will always be considered one of the
peculiar characters of this fine species of Halcyon.

Nothing has been recorded concerning the habits of this species, which, so far as we know, is only found
in the Solomon group of islands.

The following is the description of the type specimen, transcribed from the ‘ Monograph ’:—

Adult male. Head, scapulars and wing-coverts, and upper part of the back rich ultramarine; a collar
round the neck, the entire back except the interscapulary portion, and the under surface of the body pure
white; cheeks black ; upper tail-coverts ultramarine ; lower part of the flanks bordering the rump aoe
vent lilac shaded with purple; quills and tail black, washed with blue above, greyish black uudenneatl ; bill
entirely black; feet olive-brown. Total length 8:2 inches, of bill from front 1°6, from gape 2:1, wing 3:3,
tail 2°5, tarsus 0°5. ; s

Adult female. Similar to the male, but having the lower back blue instead of white. Total length 7’5 inches,
wing 3:3, tail 2°3, tarsus 0:0.

The figures in the Plate are drawn from a p
Australian Museum ; they represent the male and female of the natural size. ee

air lent to us by Mr. E. P, Ramsay, and belong to the