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THE AUSTRALIAN KINGFISIIEE. 



The ISiitr Daeulo iuliabits the thickly wooded portions of the northern and nortli- 

 western districts of Australia, where it may be seen and heard sitting on the topmost 

 Vn-anclics of tlie loftiest trees, takino- ohsen-ations of the surroundinj;- country, and yelling 

 in a most uuniusical manner. ANlicn three or four jiairs of tliese birds get tugetlier u])()U 

 a single tree, they become quite excited liy mutual nuise, and make such a hoi-rid u]iroar 

 that nothing eau be heard except their deafening outcries. It is a very shy liird, and nut 

 easily approached within range of shot. 



The general colour of this bird is a pale fawn marked with brown, and with a 

 considerable amcnint of rieli blue in the wings and tail of the male, the tail feathers being 

 largely tii)]ied with white. Tlie tail of the female is chestnut, boldly barred transversely 

 witli deep black, and lipped with bull'. 



Of the genus Halcyon, the AUSTRALIAN 

 IviNGFisUEK affords a good example.. 



This bird is a resident in New South 

 AVales from August to December or January, 

 and then passes to a warmer climate. Like 

 the preceding birds, it cares little for the 

 presence of water, making its subsistence 

 chietly on large insects, such as locusts, cater- 

 pillars, grasshoppers, and cicadie, which it 

 seizes in its bill, and beats violently against 

 the ground before eating them. It is also 

 very fond of snudl crabs and other crustaceans. 

 ^Ir. Gould mentions that the stomachs of 

 Australian Kingfishers that had been shot 

 were found cranuned witji these creatures. 

 To obtain them, it is in the habit of freijuenting 

 the sea-shore, and pouncing upon the crabs, 

 shrimps, prawns, aiul various other creatures 

 as they are thrown on tlie strand by the re- 

 tiring tide, or forced to lake refuge in sliallow 

 rock-pools, wfience they can easily be extracted 

 by the long bill of this voracious bird. 



On the banks of the Hunter Itiver this 

 Kingfisher resorts to a very curious method of 

 obtaining food. There is a kind of ant which 

 buiUls a nuul nest upon the dead branches and 

 stems of the gum-trees, and by the unpractised 

 eye woijld be taken for fungi or natural ex- 

 crescences. The Kingfisher, however, knows 

 better, and speedily demolishes the walls with 

 his powerful beak, for the purpose of feeding 

 upon the ants and their larva\ 



Like the precetling bird, the Australian 

 Kingfisher is a most noisy creature, and va- 

 uuukably foud of exercising its loud startling 

 cry, which is said to resemble the shriek -of a 

 Imman being in distress, sharp, short, urgent, 

 and frciiuently repeated. There is hardly any 

 real nest of this species, which chooses a con- 

 venient hiiUow brancli or "spout" as its domicile, and there lays its eggs. They are 

 generally from three to five in number, and are of a pure white. 



It is rather a fine bird, beuig nearly the same size as the laughing jackass. The top of 

 its head ami the back of the seapidarii's are tinged with a dull gri'cn,"and the throat, neck, 

 and abdonu'u are bull, abundantly fiecked with brown S])ots. The wings and the tail are 

 of a rather peculiar greenish blue, iu which the latter hue prevails, and the ear-coveits 



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AUSTIJALIAN Kl.NLaiSUElJ.— //ii(c!/0K Sando. 



