^O Hall, Notes on Bird-Skins from N.W. Australia. [^J 



Emu 

 Oct. 



51. Halcyon sanctus (Vigors and Horsfield), Sacred King- 



fisher. 



Halcyon sanctus, Gould, Birds Aust., fol., vol. ii., pi. 21 (1848) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xvii., pp. 267, 500 (1892). 



a. Young male, 21/3/01. 



b. Young fenriale, 21/3/01. 



c. Adult male, 26/3/00. 



d. Adult female, 31/12/99. 



There is nothing apart from the ordinary form in c, but in a 

 the head and back are a dull oily olive-green. The head and 

 back of b are a brownish-green. In d there is no dull green 

 upon the upper surface, and the only resemblance to it is upon 

 the inner secondaries ; the upper surface, less crown, is rich blue, 

 though not as intense as the deep ultramarine of H. niackayi. 

 The collar is pale buff. Recently I handled a specimen that 

 had its head and back uniform lustreless brown. Thus there is 

 a wide range in the upper surface of species, between a dull 

 brown and a vivid blue or bluish-green. The browner the 

 plumage the whiter the abdominal region and under tail 

 coverts. 



[On 7/1 2/00 I observed one of this species starting its nest in 

 a limb of a " box " tree. The bird was drilling a hole into the 

 white ants' nest in the hollow. Ten days later the chamber 

 was complete, but there were no eggs.] 



52. Dacelo CERVINA, Gould (sub-sp. of D. leacJiii, Vigors and 



Horsfield), Fawn-breasted Kingfisher. 



Dacelo cervma, Gould, Birds Aust., fol., vol. ii., pi. 28 (1848) ; sub-sp., 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xvii., p. 207 (1892). 



One adult female, 7/4/00. Excepting the throat the whole 

 of the under surface is distinctly fulvous, with vermiform cross 

 markings. 



[During the heat of the day (7/4/00) this bird usually sits on 

 a well-shaded branch, and sits so close that unless approached 

 almost to the branch it will not move. It generally perches 

 well hidden in leafy boughs.] 



53. yEGOTHELES RUFA (Hall), Rufous Owlet Nightjar. 



^■Es;othelcs rufa, Hall, Vict. Nat., vol. xviii., No. 4, p. 60 (1901) ; id., 

 No. 6. 



Adult male and female skins. 



54. EUROSTOPUS ARGUS (Hartert), Spotted Nightjar. 



Eurostopodus guttatus, Gould, Birds Aust., fol., vol. ii.,pl. 8 (1848). 

 Eurostopus argus. Hartert, Cat Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xvi., p. 608 

 ^1892). ' • 



Two adult females, 6/2/01 and 2/8/01. The spots on the 

 primaries of the February bird are snow white, while those on 

 the other specimen are creamy white. 



