20 White, Birds of Lake Victoria and Murray River. fist juiy 



Dacelo gigas. Great Brown Kingfisher. — Wherever the big gum- 

 trees grew this bird was to be found, and the quaint laughing call 

 echoed through the timber and over the flood-waters morning and 

 night. One nest was observed in the hollow limb of a tree out in 

 the swamp ; the eggs were laid on the bare wood. 



Cyanalcyon pyrrhopygius {Halcyon pyrrhopygius). Red-backed 

 Kingfisher. — Were met with in many places. Along the Murray 

 and at Lake Victoria they were rather numerous. They were nesting 

 in the steep banks of a wash-out. The male bird will sit for hours 

 on a stump or post uttering at frequent intervals his strange call, 

 which sounds like " Chow." One specimen taken at Lake Victoria, 

 3/10/17, $ — iris brown ; bill black, base of lower mandible white ; 

 feet ashy-grey; length, 235 mm.; spread of wings, 355 mm. 



Sauropatis sancta (H. sanctus). Sacred Kingfisher. — Seen once or 

 twice during the time we were out. 



Cosmaerops ornatus {Merops ornatus). Australian Bee-eater. — These 

 beautiful birds, which, by the way, are often known locally as the 

 " Rainbow-Bird," were just looking out their nesting-sites in the 

 banks of wash-outs at Lake Victoria, but had not at that time com- 

 pleted any of their nesting-tunnels. Two specimens taken at Lake 

 Victoria, 8/10/17 : — No. i, ^ — iris scarlet; bill black; feet grey; 

 length to tip of two central feathers in tail, 267 mm. ; to end of tail 

 proper, 225 mm. ; spread of wings, 350 mm. No. 2, ? — length, 235 

 mm. ; spread of wings, 350 mm. 



Eurostopodus mystacalis {E. albogularis). White-throated Nightjar. 

 • — Only saw one of these birds, just at dusk, on the bank of the river ; 

 but tlieir strange call was often heard at night. 



Heteroscenes pallidus (Cuciilus pallidus). Pallid Cuckoo. — A good 

 many of these birds were 'seen and heard. Two specimens taken at 

 Lake Victoria, 6/ 10/ 17 : — No. 1, $ — iris dark grey, with dark brown 

 rim ; bill, upper mandible almost black, lower yellowish-brown, black 

 tip ; length, 310 mm. ; wing, 185 mm. ; tail, 180 mm. ; bill, 23 mm. ; 

 tarsus, 27 mm. ; stomach contents, many hairy caterpillars. No. 2, c^ 

 — iris greyish-brown ; bill, top mandible blackish-brown, lower 

 mandible olive-brown ; inside mouth orange-red ; feet brownish- 

 grey ; stomach contents, a quantity of hairy caterpillars. 



Owenavis osculans {Mesocalius osculans). Black-eared Cuckoo. — 

 This bird was not often seen. One specimen taken at Lake Victoria 

 had iris dark brown, bill black, inside month black, feet nearly black ; 

 length, 203 mm. 



Neochalcites basalis mellori (Chalcococcyx basalis). Narrow-billed 

 Bronze-Cuckoo. — Only observed once or twice. 



Lamprococcyx plagosus (C. plagosus). Bronze-Cuckoo. — Seen only 

 once. 



Hirundo neoxena. Welcome Swallow. — Observed all along the 

 river, and everywhere out back where there were human habitations. 



Cheramoeca leucosternum stonei. Eastern Black-and- White Swallow. 

 — These Swallows were seen in several places during the trip. 



Hylochelidon nigricans caleyl {Petrochelidon nigricans). Tree-Martin. 



— Quite numerous along the river. 



