OF VICTORIA. 119 



GREAT BROWN KINGFISHER 



(Laughing Jackass), 



Dacelo gigas, Bodd. 



Base Id gigas. 

 Dacelo, a transposition of alcedo {i.e., a kingfisher) ; gigas, giant. 



Geographical Distribution.— Areas 3, 4, 6, 7, occasionally 2. 



Key to the Species. — Crown rufous brown in centre, white on 

 sides ; a band of brown on nape ; culmen ascending towards 

 tip of upper mandible. Total length about 18 inches. 



Australia, a zoological sub-region of the Australian 

 region, has five types of Kingfishers, which, for our present 

 purpose, may be divided into "water" and "land" fishers. 

 The water birds are again divided into (a) short tails, 

 (b) long tails ; and the land birds into (a) saw-like bills, 

 (b) giant bills, (c) normal bills. It is under (b) of the 

 second section our friend the Jackass takes its place. 

 The three members of this genus are disposed in two cases 

 strongly on the eastern side of the Continent, and in the 

 third scantily on the northern > It is very rarely a 

 specimen of any is seen in the great South- West — which 

 species is still a doubtful matter. 



The Great Brown Kingfisher is the " Bushman's Clock." 

 Early to rise and early to bed, and a great deal of strange- 

 like merry laughing announces both occasions. In fact, its 

 voice is an extraordinary one. Most of us like to hear a 

 family, and I do not agree with those early and super, 

 stitious immigrants who upon hearing the Jackasses for the 

 first time thought the Australian bush was full of evil 

 spirits. The quickly rising tones of a medley of voices 

 coming down a bedroom chimney in the early morning is 

 an occasional divergence in the ringing-up time. To a 



