350 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



is the Australian Cinnamon-breasted Kingfisher (T. sylvia), which was discovered by the late Mr. 

 John Macgillivray, who gives the following account of its habits : " This pretty Tanysiptera is rather 

 plentiful in the neighbourhood of Cape York, where it frequents the dense bushes, and is especially 

 fond of resorting to the sunny openings in the woods, attracted, probably, by the greater abundance of 

 insect food found in such places than elsewhere. I never saw it on the ground, and usually was 

 first made aware of its presence by the glancing of its bright colours as it darted past with a rapid 

 arrow-like flight, and disappeared in an instant amongst the dense foliage. Its cry, which may be 



LAVGHIXG JACKASS. 



represented by whee-whe-ivhee and wfteet-wheet-wheet, is usually uttered when the bird is perched on 

 a bare, transverse branch, or woody, rope-like climber, which it uses as a look-out station, and 

 whence it makes short dashes at any passing insect or small Lizard, generally returning to the 

 same spot. It is a shy, suspicious bird, and one well calculated to try the patience of the shooter, 

 who may follow it for an hour without getting a shot, unless he has as keen an eye as a native, 

 to whom I was indebted for first pointing it out to me. According to the natives, who know it 

 by the name of Quatawur, it lays three white eggs in a hole dug by itself in one of the large 

 ant-hills of red clay which form so remarkable a feature in the neighbourhood, some of them 

 being as much as ten feet in height, with numerous buttresses and pinnacles. I believe that the 

 bird also inhabits New Guinea ; for at Redscar Bay, on the south-east of that great island, in 

 long. 146 15' E., a head strung upon a necklace was procured from the natives." 



The largest of all the Kingfishers are the Laughing Jackasses of Australia, this curious name 

 being given to the bird from its strange note and peculiar look, both of which can be appreciated 



