HALCYON TRISTRAMLI,

‘Tristram’s Kingfisher.

Layard,

Halycon tristrami, Layard, Ibis, 1880, pp. 299, 460,
(1882).—Tristr. Ibis, 1882, p. 609.
Sauropatis tristrami, Salvad. Ann. Mus.

i. App. p. 524 (1882).

pl. Xvi.—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. §, WE vies peed

Civic, Genoy.

XVill. p, 420 (1882).—Td. Orn, Papuasia e delle Molucche,

— eee

Conswwerine that scarcely five years have elapsed since this species w

The first mention of the bird
Layard there states that he has a specimen of a Kinefishe

. . ie :
to name HI. tristrami, but he does not describe

as discovered, its history has already
is in ‘The Ibis’ for 1880; and Mr. E. L.
r from the Solomon Islands, which
it. Later
this bird as being probably from Makira Harbour,
In his list of the birds of the Solomon Islands,
Tristram omits all mention of the species

been sufficiently complicated.

he proposes
on, however, in the same year he refers to
and compares it with ZZ. vagans of New Zealand.
published in ‘The Ibis’ for 1882 (pp. 141-146), Canon
as an inhabitant of the group; but in the
ne , and calls attention to the absence of the nape-patch in the plate
aud description given by Mr. Layard (7. ¢.). Canon Tristram, noticing this paper in ‘The Ibis’ for 1882
(p. 609), gives the dimensions of tristrami for the first time
“further removed from Z. vagans th

meantime Mr. Ramsay
makes some remarks upon the species ;

» and states that he considers it to be
an from any other of the group.” He likewise states that it has no
occipital patch whatever, and that he " possesses the type specimens.” No wonder, then, that Count
Salvadori finds that he has been a little puzzled with regard to the history of the species.

First of all, there cannot be more than one ty

pe specimen of H. ¢tristrami, which must be the supposed
Solomon-Island specimen first mentioned by Mr. L

ayard; and with regard to the want of the occipital patch,
it is clearly visible on a close examination in the specimen described by us below, and therefore its
in Canon Tristram’s Specimen must be purely accidental.
has it plainly developed.

absence
The British Museum possesses a nestling which

Lastly, we cannot quite understand why Canon Tristram should object to the close resemblance of
H. tristrami to H. vagans, as in our opinion it is only distinguished from the latter species by its larger
size, more vivid coloration, and by the deep cinnamon-buff colour of the underparts.

It is possible that there is some error respecting the occurrence of this bird in the Solomon Islands, for
Mr. Layard does not appear to have been very certain about the origin of his type specimen. Three examples
which have fallen under our notice have been from New Britain ; but in all probability it is likewise found in
Duke of York Island, as Mr. L. C. Layard does not mention particularly that it is confined to the former of
the two (see ‘ Ibis,’ 1880, p. 294). He states that it was ‘ only got in the thick parts about the mountain-
slopes; we never observed it mixing among its smaller brethren (1. sanctus) on the open shore. Their
habitats being so different, their food was different also. The large one ate beetles, locusts, and small
lizards, and the lesser one contented himself with fish and sea-worms. Native name for both ¢ Akiki.’”

Adult male. General colour above dark green, with more or less of a bluish tinge; the whole of the back,
rump, and upper tail-coverts brighter cobalt, leaving the mantle and scapulars dull green ; wing covert
greenish cobalt, brighter blue on the greater series, and deepening into vilimaunerine on the outer aspect of
the quills, which are otherwise black ; the innermost secondaries above greenish ; feviteaibers deep blue,
the shafts below, as well as the edge of the inner web, blackish ; crown of head green, slightly washed
with blue ; a loral spot of ochreous buff; feathers in front of and round the eye Blache with a ae
white spot below the latter; on the sides of the crown above the eye a few small le 2 ; a a Oo
the crown brighter blue, meeting on the nape ; a concealed occipital Pact oe oe aoe
below the gape joining the feathers below the eye and the ee ot an ee os oe
black, joining a collar which surrounds the nape and separates ie lea ie a very a of .
this ochreous-buff band is separated from the

1 i sand joins breast ;
buff, which runs round the hind neck and joins the 5 i
: throat whiter; fore neck and breast ochreous

ackish ; cheeks ochreous buff;

mantle by a narrow shade of blackish; cheeks oc 7 oo
1 ht F -coverts; under wing-

breast, sides of body, and under tail-coverts; u g
quills blackish below, yellowish buff along the edge of the
Total length 9:3 inches, culmen

buff, deepening into cinnamon-buff on the lower
coverts and axillaries also deep cinnamon-buff ; Ce
inner web: ‘bill black ; legs ash-coloured ; iris brown” ( Yy)
a, ee bens le, obtained in Blanche Bay, New Britain, by Captain Richards
i i i -ured is a male, obtaine a NG
The specimen described and figured is a male,

on the 2nd of July, 1879. [R. B. S.]

MS

EN

Ss

RBC TP