126 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



extremely shy and very difficult to procure ; is very fond of 

 perching on the topmost dead branch of a tree, whence it 

 can have an uninterrupted view of everything passing around, 

 and where it pom-s out its loud discordant tones. Sometimes 

 three or four pairs may be heard at one time, when the noise 

 is so great that no other sound can be heard. The natives 

 assert that it breeds in the honey-season, which is during the 

 months of May, June, and July. 



In his ' Journal of an Overland Expedition from Moreton 

 Bay to Port Essington,' Dr. Leichardt states that " The 

 Laughing Jackass {Dacelo cervina, Gould) observed near 

 the Gulf of Carpentaria is of a different species from that 

 of the eastern coast, is of a smaller size, and speaks a different 

 language ; but the noise is by no means so ridiculous as that 

 of Dacelo gigas\ he is heard before sunrise and imme- 

 diately after sunset, like his representative of the eastern 

 coast ; the latter was observed as far as the upper Lynd, where 

 the new one made his appearance." 



The food of this Kingfisher is doubtless similar to that of 

 the Dacelo gig as. The stomachs of those examined by 

 Gilbert were tolerably muscular, and contained the remains 

 of coleopterous and other kinds of insects. 



As is the case with the preceding species, the male, when 

 fully adult, differs from his mate in having the tail-feathers of 

 a deep and splendid blue instead of brown. 



The male has the feathers of the head buffy white, with a 

 central stripe of dark brown, the latter colour becoming most 

 conspicuous on the occiput ; throat white ; cheeks, ear-coverts, 

 back of the neck, chest, and all the under surface sienna- 

 yellow, crossed on the flanks with very minute irregular zig- 

 zag bands of brown ; primaries black at the tip, white at the 

 base ; the base of their external webs, the secondaries, and 

 spurious wing rich china blue ; greater and lesser wing-coverts, 

 lower part of the back, and upper tail-coverts shining light blue; 

 tail and the longest of the upper tail-coverts rich deep blue, 



