TANYSIPTERA MICRORHYNCHA, sna

Port-Moresby Racket-tailed King'fisher.

npe.

Lanysiptera galatea, var. minor, Salvad. et d’ Albert. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vil. p. 815 (1875).—Salvad. op. cit
No JB: 21 (1876).—Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, Pp. 752.—D’ Albert. & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Gene
XIv. p. 49 (1879).—Ramsay, Proce. Linn. Soe. N. S. Wales, iy. p- 90 (1879),
Tanysiptera microrhyncha, 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,
. 24 (1884). :

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Tue Racket-tailed Kingfisher from South-eastern New Guinea is closely allied to the ordinary 7. 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 back 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 be 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. lt 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 (Z. ¢.) :—

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 ee lees,
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 apa anene wings black, the
wing-coverts and secondaries externally deep purplish blue, the innermost of the greater and pede
coverts bright cobalt, forming a shoulder-patch ; lower back, rump, and upper falLenrwts pure white,
the latter with an indistinct narrow fringe of dark blue; tail white, the euler ailets more or less
the two long centre feathers blue, with a long white spatula, the base of

edged with blue towards the tip,
: r edge, the next two feathers with

these two plumes irregularly white in the centre and along the inne oe
ache and entire under surface of body pure white, the

hite, the lesser plumes on the upper band of the wing
bill red; feet dusky. Total length

remains of blue near the base of the shaft; moust
sides of the upper breast black ; under wing-coverts W oes
blue-black, shading into brighter blue on the edge of the ne Hess
15:5 inches, culmen 1:3, wing 4, tail 3°9, centre feathers 9°7, tarsus 0 6.

» figured in the Plate represents an adult bird procured by Mr. H. O. Forbes in the Sogeri
Ss

The specime
district in South-eastern New Guinea. [R. B. S.]

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