der Picariae, Family Alcedinidae, Species Dacelo g'tgat 



Wing. — Bases of first seven primaries white, the white 

 more extensive on the inner webs, extremities black, the outer- 

 webs washed with metallic blue. Secondaries, dull brown, 

 slightly tipped with white, the inner webs broadly edged 

 with white, outer webs washed with metallic blue. 



Lesser Coverts. — Dull brown. 



Median and Greater Coverts.- — Dark brown, largely tipped 

 with light metallic blue. 



Tail. — Two central feathers reddish brown, strongly barred 

 with black, and slightly tipped with white. The other 

 feathers the same, except that the white tips become progres- 

 sively larger to the outermost. 



Bill. — Upper mandible black, lower yellowish white. 



Legs and Feet. — Brown. 



Iris. — Brown. 



The female resembles the male. 



Measurements. — 

 Total Length. — -]50 m.m. 

 Wing. — 202 m.m. 

 TaU.—im m.m. 

 Culm en. — 74 m.m. 

 Tarsus. — 21 m.m. 



Young birds resemble the parents, except that in them the 

 cross barring of the breast feathers is more marked. The 

 white at the sides of the head and back of neck is brownish. 



Distribution. — South Australia, as far north as Po»*t 

 Augusta, Victoria, New South Wales, and Southern Queens- 

 land. They are not found in Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, or 

 Western Australia. 



Although a very common bird in the big timber country, it 

 is seldom found on scrub or pine lands, and never far away 

 from the big gumtrees. They seem to prefer hilly country. 

 Thej are very local birds, one pair living all their lives on 

 quite a small area. This is well illustrated at the Reedbeds, 

 near Adelaide, where these birds were once exterminated, 

 and years afterwards Messrs. William White and J. W. Mel- 

 lor reintroduced a few pairs, where they have taken up their 

 abode in the old red gumtrees along the river and are slowly 

 increasing in numbers. Capt. White estimates that there are 

 now about twenty birds. 



