a la rg e r race o£ Ceiyle guttata. A s fa r as o u r knowledge o f th e two species ex tends we
have only prac tic a l evidence o f th e one b e in g met w ith in th e Himalajras, and o f th e o th er
b e in g confined to J a p an , no specimens o f a larg e sp o tted Kingfisher having been, procurod in
th e in te rv en in g c o n n try ; b u t Temminck d istin c tly states th a t Chinese w rite rs mention i t
as an in h ab itan t o f N o rth e rn China, an d is therefore possible th a t a form may y e t be found
in th e m o u n ta in s o f th is p a rt o f th e continent, which may connect th e two races. I have
th o u g h t i t b e st, however, to give a fu ll description o f th e Japanese bird, b u t have n o t
g iv en a fig u re o f i t, inasmuch as in colour and m ark in g s i t exactly resembles th e Himalay
a n S p o tted Kmgfisher. T h e following is a comparison o f th e measurements o f a
Ja p an e se specimen w ith two Himalayan b ird s now lying before me.
Cerxjle lugubris . . Nagasaki {WhitehJ). Long. tot. 16. inches,al. 7.6, rostr. 2.3.
2. Ceryle guttata . . Himalaya (mus. S.). „ „ 14. „ „ 7.0, „ 2.3.
3. „ „ . • ,, » .. » 1^-5 » » 7.1, „ 2.3.
I could give a lo n g e r series o f comparative measurements, b u t those b ro u g h t forward
a re sufficient to show th a t th e Jap an ese b ird is a Kttle larg e r, an d th is , with th e addition
o f th e slig h tly more compressed bill, is rea lly th e only difference.
T h e folloiving observations, tak en from P ro f. Temminck’s o riginal description in th e
“ P lan ch e s Coloriées” is all th a t we know respecting th e h abits o f th e p resen t species:—
“ T h is new species was b ro u g h t b y M. van Siebold^ from J a p an , where i t is very_
ra re . T h e n a tiv e Jap an e se names for i t a re Samo-dorî (S p o tted B ird ), Kahuto-dori
(Crested B ird ), Kawara-don (R iv e r B ird ), and in Chinese Kon-ju-tsjo (P r e tty female o f a
b ird ) , o r Kwa-van-Ujo (L ittle spotted flower o f a b ird ). I t is found on th e borders of
tio n ed in"X)hinese w ritin g s as in h ab itin g th e n o rth o f China and th e adjacent island c
T h e Jap an ese v alu e i t as a n object o f c u rio sity and keep i t in confinement.” ^
I h av e only m e t w ith one specimen o f CeryU lugubris in England. Th is was in Mr.
Gould’s collection, and w ith h is u su a l com’tesy was le n t to me b y th a t g entleman for the use
o f th e p re se n t work. I t was b ro u g h t from Nagasaki b y Mr. W h ite ly d u rin g h is recent
expedition to Ja p an . The description and measurements a re from th is specimen.
iiii
V i