v°|J^'i] Stray Feathers. 89 



Halcyon sanctus and Alcyone azurea. — I notice that 

 Mr. J. W. Mellor §tates that the Blue Kingfisher is the only 

 species of Kingfisher found in Tasmania. In this he is not quite 

 correct, as we have Halcyon sanctus with us during the summer 

 months, though neither of them are what you would class as 

 common birds. On referring to Campbell's " Nest and Eggs," I 

 notice that he gives Tasmania in his distribution of H. sanctus. 

 I have observed Alcyone arjurca on several rivers and creeks 

 about Hobart, but not for the last three or four years; but this 

 may be because I have not been afield so much. H. sanctus 

 I have noted several times during the last two j^ears near the 

 Derwent in the summer months, once as early as the 4th August, 

 (1905). When I was riding my bicycle from my house, situate 

 some three miles out of town, to my office, I saw H. sanctus 

 sitting on a boat-house, and as it was so early in the season I 

 stopped to observe him for some time. He flew down to some 

 stones which were surrounded by about a foot of water, which at 

 this place is quite salt. I was much interested in his movements, 

 as I ilways understood that they did not fish like A. azurea, and 

 you can imagine my astonishment, when, after looking in- 

 tently in the water for some moments, he plunged boldly in and 

 emerged with a small fish about two inches long in his bill, which 

 he proceeded to grasp by the tail, gave it a sharp whack on the 

 stone on which he was sitting, and then swallowed it ; he sat 

 there all bunched up for two or three minutes, and then suddenly 

 drew himself up, dived in again, and another fish was added to 

 his morning's meal. How long- this would have continued I 

 know not, but, unfortunately, a Silver Gull came along, and off 

 flew my little friend further up the shore, and I saw him no more 

 that morning. Next morning I again saw him, but this time he 

 was feeding amongst some seaweed, too far off for me to note 

 what he was eating. I do not know if any of our members have 

 had similar experiences or not, but Gould in his " Handbook " 

 states that he " has never seen it plunge into the water after its 

 prey like the true Kingfisher, and that he does not believe that it 

 does," but relates that it kills insects, ike, b)^ beating them on 

 rocks in just the same manner as I have described this one did 

 to kill the fish.— A. L. BUTLEK. Hobart, 1 0/7/07. 



Butcher-Btrds Fight. — 



" Nature, red in tooth and claw 

 With ravine " 



An illustration of this line from " In Memoriam " was presented 

 to us a few days ago while returning from a day's tramp among 

 the hills and gullies bordering the South Esk River. Mr. 

 Thompson and myself were proceeding late in the afternoon 

 along the ridge of a timbered slope when the loud cries of a 



