A LOYONE A Z U R E A ,
( A Z U R E K I N G E I S I I E R . )
Alcedo azurea,
Ceyx azurea,
Alcyone azurea,
Alcedo trihracliya,
Ceyx tribrachys,
Ceyx etjanea,
Alcedo australis,
A. rostro tenuiore, longior
Hah. in Australasia.
Latii. Syn. Suppl. p. 372 (1790).
Lath. Ind. Oru. Suppl. I I , p. xxxii (1801).
Steph. Gen. Zool. X H I, p. 106 (1826).
Gray, Gen. of B. I, p. 82 (1846).
Shav- and Nodd. Nat. Misc. pl. 281 (1804).
C u t. E e g n . Auim. I, p . 417 (1817).
Less. Traité d’Om. p. 241 (1831).
Swains. Olassif. of B. II , p. 336 (1837).
pileo haud faseiato : hypochondriis rufis.
Above b rig h t u ltramarin e ; wing-coverts blackish, edged with u ltramarin e ; quiUs
blackish, tb e inner web lig h t rufous a t the base, tbe secondaries ex tern ally edged w ith faint
blue ; ta il deep u ltramarin e above, black b e n e a th ; a loral spot pale ru fo u s ; th ro a t and a
lo ngitudina l p a tch o f feathers along the sides o f the neck, white tinged with orange; cheeks,
ear-coverts, and sides o f the u pper p a rt of the breast, b rig h t u ltramarin e ; r e s t o f th e u nder
surface of the body rufous, w ith a lilac lu stre on the flanks and u n d e r tail-coverts; bill
black; feet red.
flail. Australia. New South Wales and Southern Au stralia (Gould) ; Cape York
(Cockerell and Thorpe) ; Queensland (Mus. li. B . B).
This species of A la jom is th e most common aud widely disti-ibuted o f the whole genus.
I t is found generally th ro u g h o u t Au stralia, being, however, replaced on the Northern
C o a sth y A.^niic/ica, and in Tasmania by A. diemensis, both o f which I consider to be distinct
The subjoined account o f this species is ex tracted from Mr. Gould’.s “ Handbook.”
“ W ith th e exception o f Swan River, every colony o f Australia, from P o r t Essington
on the No rth W e st to Tasmania in th e extreme south, is inhabited by Azure Kingfishers ;
Additional references.— azurea, Swains. Zool. Illustr. 1st ser. pl. 26 (1820); Schl, Mus. Pays
Bas Alced. p. 17 (1863). Ceyx azurea, Jard. and Selby, 111. Orn. II , pl. 55, fig. 1. Alcyone azurea, Gould, B.
of Austv. I I , pl. 25 (1848); id. Inti-. B. of Austv. p. 31 (18-18); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Biit. Mus. p. 65 (1848);
B h th Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 50 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. At. I, p. 158 (1850); Eoicb, Vog.
Neuh’ p. 278 (1850) ; id. Handb. Alced. p. 7, t. 397, fig. 3064-65 (1851); Cass. Cat. Hale. Pliil. Mus. p. 5
Í18521 - Maeoill. Voy. Eattl. I I , p. 356 (1852); Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 10 (1854); Pelz. Toy. Novara, p.
58 (1865) ; Gould, Handb. B. of Austr. I, p. 139 (1865); Shai-pe, P . Z. S. 1869, p. 355.
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