222 THE USEFUL BIRDS OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA. 



friend the Jackass takes its place. The three members of this 

 genus are disposed in two cases strongly on the eastern side 

 of the continent, and in the third scantily on the northern. 

 It is very rarely a specimen of any is seen in the great south- 

 west — which species is still in doubt. 



The Great Brown Kingfisher is the most com.mon species in 

 the south. Leach's Kingfisher has its stronghold in the 

 tropical east. 



The Great Brown Kingfisher is the " Bushman's Clock '■ — 

 early to rise and early to bed, with a deal of strange and 

 merry laughing to aimounce each occasion. In fact, its voice 

 is an extraordinary one. Most of us enjoy to hear a family. 

 The quickly rising tones of a medle}" of voices coming down 

 a chimney in the early morning is a divergence from the 

 " ringing-up " time. To a drowsy sleeper the great hall of 

 the chimney would certainly seem to be in pandemonium. It 

 resorts to all kinds of country — the heavy timber, the clumps 

 of timber in dry areas, and in the close environment of all 

 tilled lands. Its food ranges from insects destructive on the 

 farm to rats and snakes. Unfortunately for our sentiment 

 with the bird, it destroys large quantities of useful lizards. 

 To test its hunger I supplied it one day with sixteen lizards 

 {Hinulia, sp.), and on the following day with, seven blood- 

 suckers {Amphibolurus), large specimens. It pulps them if 

 too large to swallow. It gives an hour or more to the pound- 

 ing process, and a day or less to the digestion of it. It can 

 swallow a rat, whole, when so pounded. I have seen it very 

 slowly swallow a copper-headed snake. 



A^est.— Simply a convenient hollow in any eucalyptus tree, 

 with decayed wood to place the eggs upon. 



Eggs. — Two or three to a sitting ; pearly white. Length, 

 1.8 inches ; breadth, 1.4 inches. 



