TANYSIPTERA SYLVIA. 



(White-tailed Tanysij/te^^a .) 



Crown of the head and wings, intense ultramarine blue ; a patch of black extends from behind the eye, and is continued round the back of 

 the neck, and shades the scapularies near the middle of the back ; centre of the back, pure white, which is continued down to the rump and 

 the whole length of the two long central tail feathers ; the remaining feathers of the tail are blue, and are shorter as they recede from the 

 centre; under surface, bright tawny buff ; irides, black ; bill and feet, scarlet. The female has the central tail feathers shorter, and the 

 colors less brilliant than the male. 



YouN&. — Forehead, blackish, edged with rufous buff, passing into light blue on the crown and occiput ; a broad stripe of black 

 behind the eye passes round the neck, and mingles with the feathers of the upper part of the back ; a small patch of white is on the centre of 

 the back and upper tail coverts ; wings, light dull blue, each feather broadly tipped with rufous buff; outer edges of primaries, dull blue 

 towards the base ; inner webs, brownish black, except the bases, which are pure white ; tail, light dull blue ; the inner webs of the two central 

 tail feathers, white; throat, whitish ; sides of the neck, chest, and abdomen, rufous buff; cheeks, striated with blackish brown; the chest 

 has lunate marks of the same color ; bill, brownish horn color, lighter beneath ; feet, reddish flesh color. 



Length, 12 inches ; wing, 3i ; central feathers of tail, 7 ; longest of the others, 3 ; bill, 1^ ; tarsus, |. 



This beautiful species of Kingfisher is only obtained in the peninsular of Cape York. It is a migratory bird, and makes its 

 appearance at the setting in of the N.W. monsoon, in the month of November, and departs in March to its northern habitat, the island of 

 New Gruinea. It is somewhat plentiful near Port Albany, but, from the shyness of its disposition, is not easily obtained. It frequents the 

 dense scrubs and brushes, particularly the open spots, and may generally be observed sitting on a creeper or dead branch watching for 

 insects, and uttering its peculiar cry, which is a harsh shrill whistle twice or thrice repeated, resembling the syllables "wheet wheet," at which 

 time it raises its tail perpendicularly with a jerk. Like many other species of kingfisher, it has the peculiar habit of incubating in the clay- 

 built structures of the white ant, not being very particular whether the same be on a tree or on the ground, but very frequently at the foot 

 of a rotten stump, where these nests often occur. A hole is made completely through from side to side, and a small excavation or hollow in 

 the middle serves for the reception of the eggs, no nest being made. The eggs are three, and sometimes four, in number, nearly round, and 

 of a pure white. The newly-fledged young make their appearance early in January, and do not acquire the long tail feathers until after the 

 first moult. 



