(D U L L -G R E EN KIN G F ISH E R .)
Ealeyon soi'didws .
Todiramphus sordidus
Sauropatis sordida.
Halcyon sordida, var.
Sauropatis grayi .
I grayi
Gould, P.Z.S. 1842, p. 72.
Bonap. CoEsp. Gen. Av. I, p. 157 (1850).
Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 59 {I860).
Gray, P.Z.S. 1858, p. 172, undk
Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. tli. II, p. 59 (1860).
Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 92 (1869).
II. affinis H. chloridi sed paullò robustior, coloribus sordidioribus, pileo dorso-que sordide viridibus.
Hab. in sub-regione Austvo-i et in Australià septentrionali.
Adult. Head d u ll blackish green, cheeks, ear-coverts and back o f th e head b la c k ;
lores and a collar encircling the neck, w h ite ; uppermost portion o f the back blackish
g re e n ; scapulars d u ll g reen ; wing-coverts dull green, somewhat tinged with blue, the
prima ry coverts being en tirely o f th is c o lo u r; quills black, the o u ter web conspicuously
washed with b rig h t blue ; lower portion of th e back and rum p dull c o b a lt; tail blue above,
black b en e ath ; en tire under-surface white, tinged with blue on tlie lower p a rt o f the
fla n k s ; b ill black, the lower mandible yellowish a t th e b a s e ; feet olive-brown. Total
len g th 9'5 inches, o f b ill from fro n t 2'0, from gape 2 5, wing 4-2, tail 3-0, tarsus 0 ‘55,
middle toe 0 ‘9, h in d toe, OA.
Young. Similar to th e adult, b u t has the b rea st tliickly marked with brown edgings to
the feathers, and th e u pper surface o f th e body dull brown, especially on th e head and
sc ap u la rs; th e white nuchal spot is also a little more distinct.
Hab. N o rth ern Au stralia (Gould); Hope Isles (mus. B rit.), New Guinea (Schlegel);
Aru Islands (Wallace).
Mr. G. R. Gray has considered the bii-d from th e A ru Islands to be different from the
ordinary Au stra lian form, b u t I cannot see any real distinctions, and as the New Guinea
b ird is, according to Professor Schlegel, absolutely identical w ith Australian specimens, i t
would be unreasonable to look for a different species in the A ru Islands.
Additional references.— Halcyon sordida, Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 79 (1846); Gould, B. of Austr. H, pl. 23
(1848); id. Intr. B. of Austr. p. 30 (1848); Reich. Yog. Neulioll. p. 209 (1850); Gray, Handl. of B. I, p. 92
(1869). Todiramphus sordidus,'Rnich.. Handb. Aleed.-p. 32, t. ccccxix, fig. 3136-37 (1851); Cass. Oat. Halc.
PM . Mus. p. 12 (1852); Bonap. Consp. Yol. Ajiis. p. 9 (1854); Cass. U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 212 (1858); Gould,
Handb. B. of Austr. I. p. 132 (1865.)
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