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A L C YO N E P U L CH R A ,
(R E S P L EN D EN T K IN G F ISH E R ).
Alcyone pulch'c
A. torque pectorali nullo: abdomine rufo : rostro tenuiorc, L
eherriraè ultramarinis.
Hab. in Australia septentrionali.
Gould. P.Z.S. 1846, p. 19.
■e: pileo baud faseiato: hypochondriis pulvery
brillian t u ltramarine, a little deeper on the wing-coverts; wing-coverts
Above v e r
brownish blacl black,, edged with u ltram a rin e ; wing-feathers brownish, th e in n er web very - light
•
rufous a t the base, the secondaries externally edged with u ltramarin e ; tail deep blue above,
black u n d e rn e a th ; a .small spot in fro n t o f th e eye lig h t ru fo u s ; thi’oat and a p atch of
feathers along th e sides o f the neck white tinged with o ran g e ; cheeks and ear-coverts
b rillia n t u ltram a rin e ; sides o f the body also b rilliant ultramarine, extending on to the
flan k s ; re s t o f the u nder surface o f th e body deep rich rufous, ivith a lilac lu stre on the
abdomen and u nder tail-co v e rts; bill deep black ; feet orange. Total length 6.5 inches, of
bill from fro n t 1.95, from gape 2.2, wing 3.0, ta il 1.3, tarsus 0.3, middle toe 0.5, hin d
to e 0.2. •
Hab. Au stra lia, Cape-Y’^ork P eninsula {Mus. R . B . Sharpe); Victo ria R iv er and P o rt
Essington, N.W. A u s tra lia {Gould, Elsey).
This species is very d istin c t from Alcyone azurea, with which i t h as b een u n ited b y P rin ce
Bonaparte and Mr. G. R. Gray, and m ay easily be distinguished b y th e intense u ltramarine
colouring on th e sides o f th e body. I t is also a more slender bird and th e colours are
brighte r.
The description and measurements, and the p late are drawn from a fine specimen in my
collection fi*om Caj)c York. This, as well as another specimen in my cabinet, shcivs a very
na rrow blue margin to a few o f the b rea s t-fe a th e rs ; in one they are so distinct as nearly
to form a pectoral baud.
A L C Y O N E P U L C H R A .
Additional references.—Alcyone pxdchra. Gray, Gen. of Birds, I. ] ! (1846) : Gould, Intr. to Birds of
Anstr. p.31(1848); Eeieh. Vo g . Neuholl. p. 278 (1850); iJ. Handb. A(ceJ. p. 7 (1851); Cass, Cat. Hale. Phil.
Mus. p. 5 (1852); Elsey, P.Z.S. 1857. p. 25 ; Goidd, Handb. Birds of Austr. I. p. 141 (1865) ; Sharpe, P.Z.S.
1869, p. 356; Gray, Handl. of B. p. 96 (1869).
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