CEYX SOLITARIA.

Solitary King‘fisher.

Ceyx meninting, Less. Voy. Coquille, Zool. i. p. 691 (1826).—Cuy. Reégne An.
p. 241 (1831).—Pucher. Rey. et Mag. 1861, p. 345.
Ceyx solitaria, Temm. Pl. Col. 595. fig. 2 (1836).—Gray, P. Z.S. 1858, mle

1. p. 444 (1829).—Less. Traité,

f eee § USD, jd. 1HHs ISGil, p. 433.—
Sharpe, P. Z.5. 1868, p. 271.—Id. Monogr. Alced. pl. 38 (1868).—Salvad. Atti R. Accad. Torino, iv
p. 474 (1869).—Gray, Handl. B. i. p. 95 (1869).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genoa, vii. p. 765 (1875)

Alcyone solitaria, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 82 (1847). Bp. Consp. i. p. 158 (1850).—Reich. Handb. Alced. p :
taf. ccexcvil. fig. 3067 (1851).—Bp. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10, sp. 358 (1854).—Rosenb. J. f. 0. rae
Deals:

Alcedo solitaria, Schl. M. P. B. Alcedines, p. 17 (1863).—Id. Voy. Nederl. Ind. Alced. pp. 12, 48, pl. 3. fig. 5
(1864).—Id. Revue Alced. p. 9 (1874). .

 

 

Tuis little three-toed Kingfisher is an inhabitant of New Guinea and the neighbouring islands. The
original type came from the Bay of Lobo; and the Leiden Museum has specimens from Sorong, Dorey, and
Andai, collected by the late Dr. Bernstein and by Von Rosenberg. In the island of Salwatty, Bernstein
collected examples at Kalwal and Sailolo ; and it has been sent from the island of Batanta by Von Rosenberg :
in the last-named locality Dr. Beccari also met with it. Mr. Hoedt is our authority for the occurrence
of the bird in Mysol, five individuals being in the Leiden Museum from Waaigama and Kasim. In his
original ‘ Catalogue of the Kingfishers of the Leiden Museum,’ Professor Schlegel recorded a specimen from
Ceram; but Mr. Wallace at the time doubted the occurrence of the species in that island, and it now seems
that the specimen in question was a Mysol one. Lastly, it occurs in the Aru Islands, whence we saw a
large series in the collection recently formed there by Mr. Cockerell. Von Rosenberg’s localities are
Wokam and Wonoumbai. Mr. Cockerell is likewise our authority for the occurrence of the present species
in Australia, as specimens were in his last collection from Cape York, and he assures me that Mr. Jardine
had obtained them in the neighbourhood of Somerset. Beyond this, I have never in all my experience
heard of the species nor seen a single example from the Austr
All that is at present written concerning its economy is contained in the following bret note, Om
nicated by Mr. Wallace to Mr. Sharpe’s ‘Monograph.’ He observes that ‘‘ the stomachs of those he killed
contained the remains of water-beetles and other insects.”
d first of all by having only three toes, a peculiarity of the genera Ceyx

alian continent.

The present species is distinguishe
mbers of the latter it differs by its black bill and yellow belly.

and A/cyone; and from all the me
drawn from an Aru-Island specimen in my

In the Plate the bird is represented of the natural size,

collection,