292 SYNDACTYL.E. 



immunity from its bite. Generally the snake is killed 

 before being carried away, but sometimes the bird is 

 observed to break the creature's head to pieces on a branch 

 by means of its powerful beak. Occasionally the Gigantic 

 Kingfisher will kill young chickens, and carry away eggs ; 

 but its services in destroying reptiles alnmdantly compen- 

 sate the settler for these petty depredations. The most 

 striking feature, however, in the history of the Dacelo is 

 its peculiar cry ; ever and anon it breaks out into a sin- 

 gular abrupt Icmgh, somewhat resembling the syllables 

 yah ! yah ! yah I commencing in a low, and gradually 

 rising to a high and loud tone, that is perfectly startling 

 when heard amidst the solitudes of the forest. From this 

 wild and discordant cry it has obtained from the colo- 

 nists the names of the " Laughing Jackass," " Feathered 

 Jackass," and " Laughing Kingfisher." The Laughing 

 Kingfisher, or " Settler's Clock," as it is sometimes called 

 by the colonists, was for many years a doomed bird in 

 Australia, merely from ignorance of its natural habits ; 

 for having been seen occasionally to pounce ujDon and 

 devour a chicken in the absence of its usual sujijply of 

 snakes or mice, it was regarded as one of the destroyers 

 of the poultry-yard ; and from the general destruction of 

 these birds tliat was instituted, a corresponding increase 

 of rej^tiles and vermin of all kinds was experienced on 

 every farm. Its utility being better understood, it is 

 now seldom or never molested ; its peculiar laugh and 

 singular scream are again heard, and the "Settler's 

 clocks " set a-going again, prove a benefit to the com- 

 munity, and have even become useful domesticated ani- 

 mals ; they have, indeed, very much the habits of birds 

 of prey, and, when kept as pets about a house or garden, 

 will watch for small game like a cat. It is very common 

 to see ten or twelve of these birds perched upon the 

 branch of a large gum-tree {Eucalyptus), and on the tra- 

 veller trying to imitate theii- peculiar note, instead of 

 flying away, one of the party will set up its laugh ; this 

 is immediately followed by a second ; a third will then 

 take up the cry, and bark away until they all chime in 

 with a most extraordinary compound of noises. 



The typical form of this sub-family is — 



Lindsay's Halcyon {Halcyon Lindsay i), of which, how- 

 ever, little is known but the skin. 



