130 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



and dead branches of the Eacali/pti, and which resemble ex- 

 crescences of the tree itself. 



The season of nidification commences in October and lasts 

 till December, the hollow spouts of the gmn- and boles of the 

 apple-trees {Angophorce) being generally selected as a recept- 

 acle for the eggs, which are four or five in number, of a pinky- 

 white, one inch and a line in length, and ten lines in diameter. 



The sexes differ but little either in their size or colouring, 

 and the young are only distinguished by being of a less bril- 

 liant hue, and by the wing-coverts and feathers of the breast 

 being edged with brown. 



Crown of the head, back, and scapularies dull green ; wings 

 and tail green, slightly tinged with blue ; ear-coverts, and an 

 obscure circle bounding the green of the head, greenish black ; 

 rump verditer green ; throat white ; line from the nostrils 

 over the eye, nuchal band, and all the under surface buff, be- 

 coming deeper on the flanks ; bill black, the basal portion of 

 the under mandible flesh-white ; feet flesh-red, tinged with 

 brown ; irides dark brown. 



Sp. 64. TODIRHAMPHUS PYRRHOPYGIUS, Gould. 



Red-backed Kingfisher. 



Halcyon pyrrhopygia, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part viii.1840, p. 113. 

 Todirhamphus pyry'hopygius, Bonap. Coiisp. Gen. Av., torn. i. p. 157, 



Todirhamphus, sp. 1. 

 Cyanalcyon pyrrhopygia, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis., p. 9, gen. 119. 

 Sauropatis pyrrhopygia, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil ii. p. 161. 



Halcyon pyrrhopygia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pi. 22. 



This Kingfisher is an inhabitant of the interior, but over 

 what extent of country it may range is not yet known. The 

 only parts where I myself observed it were the myall-brushes 

 {Acacia penduld) of the Lower Namoi, particularly those 

 growing on the edge of the large plain skirting the Nundawar 

 range. It was usually seen sitting very upright on the dead 



