TANYSIPTERA NIGRICEPS, Setater:

Black-headed ‘Tanysiptera.

Tanysiptera nigriceps, Sclater, P. Z.S, 1877, p. 105.—Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. x p. 303

Writing in 1871, the late Mr. Blyth insis ‘

d . y sisted fi r ” Y . es S
wee ib ae: : _ strongly on the fact that the Cape-York Peninsula of Australia
ought to be united in a zo0-geographical sense see i

‘s : geographical sense to the Papuan subregion as we now understand it. The

= nos Wwe . rse yrecse 1 « ae ‘ 1 }
main reason was, of course, the presence of a Cassowary in the above-named peninsula; but, in addition to

Se Soe ml ame of Ur nk ae» Tn ea nr ne
. ; BS) peninsula of Australia, such, for instance, as Pitta
geal and CT SITET ee It is more particularly of the latter that I would now speak.

The ae beautiful pomadatien, whieh I had the pleasure of describing as long ago as 1850, differed
at uw from a the other Zanysiptere in its fawn-coloured under surface ; and for many years it was a very
resists, sad formar ne oe eet gen Tous specimens have been ccd in the

sula, arded to this country; but its occurrence in New Guinea was until lately
somewhat conjectural. All doubt on this point has now been set at rest by the researches of Signor
D’Albertis, who procured two specimens in Hall Bay, in South-eastern New Guinea; for, although Clone
Salvadori mentioned to me certain differences of plumage observable in the New-Guinea birds, I believe that
these are not any of specific importance, and that they are indications of immaturity in the examples
examined by him. ;

Now, as most of my readers are aware, there lie to the eastward of New Guinea certain large and impor-
tant islands (New Britain, New Ireland, and the Solomon Islands); and the more we know of the zoology
of these islands the more do we see that their fauna is Papuan in its character, having little in common mae
Australia or with Oceania. Of New Britain and New Ireland we know very little ornithologically ; but our
knowledge has been increased during the past twelve months by the very interesting investigations of Mr.
George Brown, C.M.Z.S., who sent a collection of birds from the above-named localities and from Duke-of-

York Island to Dr. Sclater, by whom an account of the collection has been published in the ‘ Proceedings of

the Zoological Society’ for 1877. The specimens themselves have now become the property of the Marquis
of Tweeddale, to whom I am indebted for the opportunity of figuring some of the most interesting novelties.
Most of the species sent by Mr. Brown are either Papuan or at least are closely allied to New-Guinea species ;
and it was highly interesting to find in the Kingfisher here figured a representative, not of the brilliant blue-
and-white forms, such as Tanysiptera galatea, T. nais, &c., but of 7. sylvia, the Cape-York species. Like
the latter, it wants the great racket or spatule at the end of the long tail-feathers, such a pronounced feature
in most of the Zanysiptere, and it has the same tendency to cross these two long rectrices ; in fact it is yery
closely allied to 7’. sydea, but is at once recognizable by its black head.

The following is a description of the type specimen :—

Head, neck, mantle, and scapulars jet-black, as also the lores, sides of face, and ear-coverts ; m tine centre
of the back a large dorsal patch of whife ; rump also white; upper tail-coverts particoloured, white on the
lateral tail-feathers black, washed with blue on the outer web; the
the shafts white, the outer edges blue; the next
art of the inner web, washed with blue
black on the inner

inner web, black on the outer one;
two long centre feathers white, with slightly dilated ends,

feather on each side black, the shafts black, white for the greater p é
he least coverts adjoining the back, the quills
the under tail-coverts whitish ; flank-feathers
sides of the lower back black, bordering

on the outer; wings blue, more brilliant on t

webs; cheeks and under surface of body light cinnamon ;

somewhat varied with black edgings, as also the thigh-feathers ; es oe

the white rump; under wing-coverts cinnamon-colour, like the breast, some of the ae a a el

series edged with blackish ; quills dusky below, whitish along the ste of the inner web; bill coral-red.
Total length 11-7 inches, culmen 1-5, wing 3°65, tail 7-0, tarsus 0-6. “necrenes of
The figure in the Plate is drawn from the typical example, and represents the species of <

size.

DIC