228 



KINGFISBERS. 



useful, domesticated animals ; they have, indeed, very much the habits of birds 

 of prey, and, when kept as pets about a house or garden, will watch for small 

 game like a cat. It is very common to see ten or twelve of these birds perched 



^^^^d,^^^^ 



Fig. I20. — The Lalghing Jackass {Dacclo gigas). 



upon the branch of a large gum tree {eucalyptus), and on the traveller trying 

 to imitate their peculiar note, instead of flying away, one of the party will set 

 up its laugh ; this is immediately followed by a second ; a third will then take 

 up the cry, and bark away until they all chime in with a most extraordinar)- 

 compound of noises. 



The typical form of this sub-family is — 



Lindsay's Halcyon {Halcyon Lvulsayi), of which, however, little is 

 known but the skin. 



Siib-Fainily III. 



THE KINGFISHERS PROPER. ALCEDININ^. 



General Characteristics.— Bill more or less long, straight, and slender, with the 

 culmen sloping to the tip, which is acute, the sides much compressed, and the gonys 

 long and ascending. 



The race of the true Kingfishers is distributed over most parts 

 of the world. They frequent the banks of rivers, and are usually 



