THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 21 



breasted Shrike Thrush, Colluricincla rufigaster, its beautiful 

 clear note being often heard, and several nests were found, 

 generally within a few feet of the ground. The photograph shown 

 was taken of a nest in situ. They are not easy to come across, 

 and are generally first noticed by seeing the bird fly off. These 

 birds do not seem to live near the tops of the higher mountains, 

 but are there replaced by what I took to be the Brown Shrike 

 Thrush, Colluricincla brunnea, a bird which has a stronger and 

 even more melodious note. They are destructive to the eggs 

 and young of other birds, and the natives say they destroy their 

 own eggs if disturbed. On one occasion on our way to Romeo 

 we passed by a nest close to the track ; the bird flew off, and we 

 noticed two eggs in the nest, but did not touch them. On our 

 return shortly afterwards we found one of the eggs broken, which 

 may have been done by the parent. In the open country the 

 Laughing Jackass, Dacelo gigas, was often seen and heard, and 

 made its nest by burrowing a hole in the White Ants' nests high 

 up on the trees. Leach's Kingfisher, Dacelo Leachii, was less 

 numerous ; it makes its nest in the hollow of branches. Macleay's 

 Kingfishers, Halcyon Macleayi, were plentiful, laying also in a 

 burrow in the White Ants' nests, while along the creeks were 

 seen the Red-backed Kingfisher, Halcyon pyrrhopygius, busily 

 engaged in making excavations at the time I left. The beautiful 

 Little Kingfisher, Alcyone pusilla, which also makes its nest 

 in a burrow on the bank, is the smallest of Australian King- 

 fishers. In the scrub was often heard the note of the White- 

 tailed Kingfisher, Tanysiptera sylvia. They generally arrive here 

 in October from New Guinea to breed, and for their nests burrow 

 holes in the small mounds on the ground made by White Ants. 

 These mounds are never large, rarely being over two feet and a 

 half high, and I was told are only found on the coast ranges, and 

 that these Kingfishers never make their nest anywhere else than 

 in them. As soon as the birds have made their burrows die 

 White Ants carefully fill up all the entrances from their mound 

 into the bird's excavation, and consequently never interfere with 

 the bird in any way. When the birds have left with their young 

 the insects evidently fill up the hole again, as old burrows are 

 rarely ever found. The Shining Calornis, Galomis metallica, 

 were plentiful, and build their nests in great numbers on one 

 tree, generally choosing one of the largest trees in the scrub, and 

 one that has no other tall trees growing very close to it. Their 

 nests were in clusters, and they were hard at work constructing 

 them during my visit. Many get blown down on to the ground, 

 and their eggs occasionally get upset, and are found broken 

 underneath. These birds are very noisy, and it is easy to tell 

 when one is in the neighbourhood of their nests. They go about 

 in flocks, even when gathering material off the palm trees for 



