if it a- f ii
A L C YONE D I EM E N S I S .
(V A N D IEM EN ’S LAND K IN G F ISH E R .)
Alcyone diemenensis Gould, P . Z. S. 1846, p. 19.
Ewing. Tasm. Journ. I, p. 56 (1842, nec Lath.)
A. torquo pectorali nullo: abdomine rufo : rostro tenuiore, breviore : pileo nigi-o indistincte faseiato.
Hah. in. Tasmania.
Above deep blue, a little b rig h te r on the rump, th e head having th e appearance o f being
indistinctly banded with d u sky b lack ; cheeks, ear-coverts, scapularies, aud iring-coverts
black washed with b lu e ; wing-feathers blackish, th e in n er web lig h t rufous from the base,
the o u ter web distinctly washed with blue ; tail blue above, black b e n e a th ; a small loral
spot, a p atch o f feathers along th e sides o f the neck, and the th ro a t white tinged ivith ru fo u s ;
the whole o f th e u n d e r surface o f the body deep rufous, with a v e ry faint lilac lu stre on the
flan k s; a larg e p atch o f feathers on th e sides o f th e u pper p a rt o f th e b rea st black, with a
slight blue lu stre ; bill black ; feet red. Total len g th 6 inches, o f b ill from fro n t 1*4, from
gape 1'9, wing 3'1, ta il 1-35, tarsu s 0*3, middle toe 0*55, hin d toe 0 ‘25.
Hah. Tasmania (Gould).
!Mr. Gould first separated this species from Alcoyne azurea, and I have in a recent
paper on th e genus A Icyone kept i t distinct. I t can, however, be considered little m ore th an
a climatic v a rie ty o f th e Au stralian bird.
In one o f his le tte rs my friend Mr E. P. Ramsay writes to me
“ Tliis species seems to have become v e ry scarce o f late years, and is rare ly seen even
in th e most u nfrequented p a rts o f V an Diemen’s Land. I t differs slig h tly in colour and
markings from A . azurea, and also in size, b eing scarcely so large.”
The description and measurements a re from a Tasmanian skin in my collection.
Additional references.—Alcyone dicmensis, Gould, Introd. Birds of Austr. p. 31 (1848); Gray, Gen. of Birds,
I. p. 82 (c. 1844); Kaup. Fam. Alced. p. 18 (1848); Eeieh. Vog. Neulioll. p. 278 (1850); Cab. & Heine, Mus.
Hein, th. II . p. 143 (1860); Gould, Handb. Bii-ds of Austr. I. p. 141 (1865); Shaipe, P . Z. 8. 1869, p. 356.
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