INSESSORES. 133 



Sp. 66. CYANALCYON MACLEAYL 



MacLeay's Kingfisher. 



Halcyon MacLeayi, Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn., vol. iii. pi. 101. 



incindus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 14.2, female. 



Todirhampkus Macleayi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn. i. p. 157, Todi- 



ramphus, sp. 13. 

 Cyanalcyon Macleayi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil ii. p. 158. 

 Bush Kingfisher, Residents at Port Essington. 



Halcyon Macleayi, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pi. 24. 



There lias not yet been discovered in Australia a more 

 beautiful Kingfisher than the one dedicated to the late Alex- 

 ander MacLeay by the authors of the ' Illustrations of Or- 

 nithology ' as a tribute of respect for his scientific labours, 

 in the propriety of which I entirely concur. 



The extreme brilliancy of the plumage of this bird would 

 indicate that it is a native of the hotter portions of the 

 country, and the correctness of this inference is borne out by 

 the fact that it inhabits all the eastern provinces from More- 

 ton Bay to the extreme northern portions of the continent ; it 

 is tolerably abundant at Port Essington, and it is also spread 

 over nearly every part of the Cobourg Peninsula suited to its 

 habits ; like the other members of the genus to which it 

 belongs, it is rarely, if ever, seen near water, and evinces so 

 decided a preference for the forests of the interior that it has 

 obtained the name of "Bush Kingfisher" from the residents 

 at Port Essington ; it is generally dispersed about in pairs, 

 and feeds on small reptiles, insects, and their larvse ; its 

 general note is a loud pee-pee uttered with considerable 

 rapidity. It incubates in November and December, some- 

 times forming its nest in the hollow trunks of trees, and at 

 others excavating a hole for itself in the nest of the tree-ants, 

 which presents so prominent and singular a feature in the 

 scenery of the country : the nest of the C. Macleayi is easily 

 discovered, for on the approach of an intruder the birds 



