88 AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIANS. 



kingfisher, yellow -billed kingfisher, white-tailed king- 

 fisher, azure kingfisher, little kingfisher. 



I procured three specimens. One of these is about 

 the size of a swallow, with two tail-feathers about six 

 inches long, very prettily marked. 



The most widely-known, and at the same time the 

 most popular, bird in Australia, is the laughing jack- 

 ass, or giant kingfisher. He is by no means a timid 

 bird. There is a heavy penalty for any one killing 

 him, and he not only seems to know that there is such 

 a law, but he has apparently perfect confidence in the 

 law which protects him, so why should he not laugh 

 when he wants to ? and he will come right up to your 

 door, or perch upon the plum tree or the barn, and 

 laugh till he makes you laugh a response, unless there 

 is something wrong with your liver. 



Though he is, properly speaking, a kingfisher, he 

 makes it his special business to fish for snakes. What 

 he does not know about catching snakes we shall not 

 try to teach him. Perhaps it is just after he has had 

 a square meal from an old copper-head or one of his 

 cousins, that he has his best laugh. 



Turning to our picture for a moment, I should 

 think the two in the rear have just finished a jolly 

 dinner of snake, but have failed to extend an invita- 

 tion to the poor, disconsolate-looking old fellow in 



