OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 269 



parts of the creeks which wind through the scrubs ; they utter a 

 shrill, clear, piping cry, settle abruptly on a bough, and fre- 

 quently turning round, almost immediately present their dark 

 blue back instead of their white breast, so that if once lost sight 

 of, they are difficult to detect. They were plentiful on the 

 Laloki River during Morton's stay there, and are found also in 

 Queensland as far south as the Herbert River. 



38.— Ceyx solitaria, Temm. PI Gol 595. /. 2. (1836). 

 I have seen but two examples of this elegant species from the 

 Laloki River, where it is evidently rare. Both were obtained in 

 the most dense part of the scrubs near the river, at a distance of 

 about 15 miles from Port Moresby. 



39. — Tanysiptera galatea, Gray. 



Tanysiptera microrhynchus, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. Zool., 1877, 

 p. 313. ; T. galatea var. minor, "^alvadori, t.c. 

 This fine kingfisher is evidently very plentiful in the scrubs 

 fringing the Laloki ; both Morton's and Mr. Goldie's collections 

 contained many fine examples. The centre two tail feathers in 

 some of the specimens, attaining the length of 13 inches. I can 

 find no difference between the Port Moresby specimens and 

 some collected by Dr. Beccari, at " Warbresi" in the North 

 West ; except in the greater length of the tail feathers and 

 shortness of the bill. Like Tanysiptera sylvia, this species 

 appears to be solitary in its habits except when breeding ; they 

 frequent the thickest parts of the scrubs, and seldom go near the 

 water. Morton notes that on one occasion he saw one fly down 

 to the waters edge as if to drink, but scarcely remaining half a 

 minute, dashed off* again into the scrub. They breed in Novem- 

 ber and December, laying 5 round white eggs in a hole dug in a 

 bank, or in the nest of the white ants, Termites. 



40. — Tantsipteka salvadoriana, sp. nov. 

 This species has been looked upon as T. sylvia (Gould), but 

 upon close examination will be found to be quite distinct. Dr. 

 Salvadori has pointed out the chief differences, from specimens 

 obtained by D'Albertis. 



