R A CQ U E T -T A ILED K IN G F ISH E R .
siptera nais, one of
the most singular and
beautiful of that beautiful
family. These
birds differ from all other
kingfishers (which have
usually short tails) by having
the two middle tail-
feathers immensely lengthened
and very narrowly
webbed, but terminated by
a spoon shaped enlargement,
as in the motmots and
some of the humming-birds.
They belong to that division
of the family termed king-
hunters, living chiefly on
insects and small land-mol-
luscs, which they dart down
upon and pick up from the
ground, just as a kingfisher
picks a fish out of the water.
They are confined to a very
limited area, comprising the *
Moluccas, New Guinea, and
Northern Australia. About
ten species of these birds are now known, all much resembling
each other, but yet sufficiently distinguishable in
every locality. The Amboynese species, of which a very
accurate representation is here given, is one of the largest
and handsomest. It is full seventeen inches long to the
tips of the tail-feathers; the bill is coral red, the undersurface
pure white, the back and wings deep purple, while
the shoulders, head and nape, and some spots on the upper
part of the back and wings, are pure azure blue. The
tail is white, with the feathers narrowly blue-edged, but
the narrow part of the long feathers is rich blue. This
was an entirely new species, and has been well named
after an ocean goddess, by Mr. R. G. Gray.
On Christmas eve I returned to Amboyna, where I
stayed about ten days with my kind friend Dr. Mohnike.
Considering that I had been away only twenty days, and
that on five or six of those I was prevented doing anything
by wet weather and slight attacks of fever, I had
made a very nice collection of insects, comprising a much
larger proportion of large and brilliant species than I had
ever before obtained in so short a time. Of the beautiful
metallic Buprestidte I had about a dozen handsome species,
yet in the doctor’s collection I observed four or five more
very fine ones, so that Amboyna is unusually rich in this
elegant group.
During my stay here I had a good opportunity of seeing