Sh/ier, Jmp.
IRENA CYANOGASTRA, vigors.
Blue-mantled Fairy Bluebird.
Irena cyanogastra, Vigors, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. 97.—Gray & Mitchell, Genera of Birds, i. p. 288, pi. 70.—
Bonap. Consp. Gen. A y . i. p. 349.—Cass. United-States Exploring Exped., Aves, p. 143.—Gray,
Hand-list o f Birds, i. p. 288.—"Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 190.—Sharpe, Cat. Birds, iii. p. 266.__
Id. Trans. Linn. Soc. n. ser. Zool., i. p. 352.—Wardlaw Ramsay, Orn. Works o f Marquis o f Tweed-
dale, p. 657.
Two species of the genus Irena are distinguished by having the under surface o f the body blue instead of
black. Both these species are confined to the Philippine Archipelago, one of them, the subject of the
present article, being an inhabitant o f Luzon and Panay, while it is represented in the island of Basilan by
I. melanoclilamys.
Although the present species has been known to science ever since the year 1831, no details have as yet
been published of its habits; and I must refer my readers to the accounts published of Irena puella, as the
habits of all the members of the genus are doubtless similar. If, as Dr. Meyer states, the sexes are alike
in plumage, it would differ in this respect from all its allies. Without affirming the absolute correctness
of Dr. Meyer’s statements, I must admit that of all the specimens examined by me, none have shown any
difference in their plumage; but its Basilan representative has the sexes differing in the manner usual with
the Irenes.
The following description is copied from Mr. Sharpe’s ‘ Catalogue of Bi r d s—
“ Adult male. General colour above deep purplish blue, slightly varied on the rump with ashy brown,
where the traces of the feathers show through ; the scapulars resembling the back; least and median wing-
coverts deep cobalt-blue, the greater series black, shading off into deep cobalt at the tip, very slightly on
the outermost, conspicuously on the inner ones; primary coverts black, the quills black, the inner
secondaries externally deep cobalt like the wing-coverts, the greater upper tail-coverts deep cobalt, brighter
than the lower back; tail black, washed with deep purple, more plainly on the centre feathers; crown of
head and nape deep cobalt-blue, a little brighter on the fore part of the crown; lores, sides of face and
of neck, entire throat, and chest black; rest o f under surface deep purplish blue like the b ack ; under
tail-coverts deep cobalt-blue:; thighs and under wing-coverts brown, washed with purplish blue; iris red.
Total length 10 inches, culmen 1 1 5 , wing 5 ’35, tail 4 -4, tarsus 0-85.”
The figures in the Plate are of the size of life, and are drawn from specimens in my own collection.
[R. B. S.]