562 NESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Sest. — An excavation or tunnel in termites' .(\vhit<' ants') mound, 

 wliich are usually from one-and-a-half feet to two-and-a-half feet high 

 on the ground, and found in dense scnib. Tennitcs' mounds situated 

 upon trees are also used. 



Eggx. — Clutch, tlu'ee Lo four; round in form; tcxluic of shell fine; 

 siuiace glossy ; coloiu", pure white. Dimensions in inches of a pair : 

 (1) 1-1 X -92, (2) 1-06 X -93; of a clutch: (1) 1-0 x -89, (2) -99 x -9, 

 (3) •97X-87. 



Observations. — This most elegant species, sometimes known as the 

 Racket-tail Kingfisher, is by no means scarce in the Cape York Penin- 

 sula. Let Gould's own words describe its handsome dress; — "Crown 

 of the head, wings, and five lateral tail featliere on each side, blue ; car- 

 coverts, back of the neck and mantle, black ; in the centre of the latter 

 a triangular mark of white ; nunp and two middle tail featliers pure 

 white; under surface cinnamon-red; bill and feet seaUng-wax red." 

 The total length of this feathered beauty is 12 inches, including about 

 7 inches from the t;ul, which, however, is variable in length. lis remark- 

 able mode of uicUficatiou was first communicated lo Gould by an 

 informant who stated that according to the natives this ICinglisher 

 laid its eggs in a hole dug by itself in one of the ant-hills, which fonn 

 so remarkable a feature in the neighbourhood. 



When collecting in the Bloonificld River distiicl in 1893. Mr. D. 

 Le Souef obsei-ved that the beautiful While-tailed Kingfisher always 

 selects the mounds of the wliite tennitcs or ants to make its nest in. 

 The mounds, as will be seen by the illustration, are of a conical shape 

 and not more than two-and-arhalf feet high, and arc found in the dense 

 palm scnibs on the coastal ranges. The birds come from northward 

 about the latter end of October, and commence excavating their nests 

 the second week in November. When the nests are fini'^hed the whit<^ 

 ants carefully cement all the entrances of the mound into the nesting 

 chamber, and when the young birds have left the persevering tcnnit-es 

 soon fill up the excavation again, consequently old tunnels or nests arc 

 seldom found. Mr. Le Souef fiu-ther informs me that the birds are 

 by no means .shy. niirl their call is frequentlv heard in the scnib during 

 breeding season. 



Mr. K. Broadbcnt found the bird prevalent at Cowrie Crock, fiuHhcr 

 south in the Cnrdwcll district, and once found at Dalrvinple (Ja]) a nest 

 in which the proper inhabitants of the tormitarium were actually 

 running over the four young ones, which in turn were sU-inding amongst 

 the insects. He also observed a nest of this Kingfisher in a mound of 

 termites on Bellonden-Kcr Range, at an elevation of 1.800 (ocl. 



Mr. IlariT Barnard, when collecting at Cape York for Mr. 11. Le 

 Souef anri nUur Melbourne gentlemen, establislicd quiti- a "record 

 for the iiuml>cr of ucsKs he found of this beautiful Kingfi.sher. In 

 February. 1807, between the 2nd .ind Ifith day.s. he visited no Ic-w 

 than thirty-five ne.sts, a,s many as a dozen being di.scovered in one day, 

 all containing three egg,"!, except in one insljvncc of two. Tlie following 

 is an interesting field note by Mr. Barnard on the subject: — "Silver- 



