THE LAUGHING JACKASS 



101 



the way. Poking my head out of the window, I saw 

 on the limb of a gum-tree three laughing jackasses 

 indulging in a morning song. In great haste I seized 

 my gun, and soon reduced the trio to a duet. The 

 bird was not dead when I picked him up, and he bit 

 my fingers desperately. The laughing jackass (JDacelo 

 giyantea) is about the size of a crow and colored white, 



THE LAUGHING JACKASS. 



gray, and blue. He belongs to the kingfisher family, 

 and lives largely on snakes and lizards, which he 

 squeezes to death between his mandibles. A person 

 who has never tried the experiment, can form very little 

 idea of the interest and excitement attending the first 

 expedition with a gun into the forests of a new country. 

 Every bird one sees is game, and a careful observer 

 sees hundreds of things to delight his mind. 



