234 THE BIKDS OP ATJSTBALIA 



after-shaft to contour feathers of body. Tail feathers generally 

 12. Egg white, young hatched naked and helpless. Cosmo- 

 politan. Kingfishers. 



Family Alcedinidce. 

 Soles of toes much flattened. Sternum with two notches. 



Sub-family Alcedininm. 

 Bill long and slender, compressed and perceptibly keeled. 

 Mostly feeding on fish. East and West Hemisphere. 



Genus Alcyone. 

 Bill longer than tail, which is conspicuously shortened. Toes 

 three. Australia, the Papuan Islands and the Moluccas. 



Key to the Species. 



Abdomen rufous. Over 6 inches in total length. 



Sides of body rufous, or slightly washed with lilac. A. azurea. 



Sides of body bright ultramarine. A. pulchra. 



Abdomen white. Length 4.8 inches. A. pusilla. 



The Blue Kingfisher. 



A. azurea. 



Queensland to Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. 



Above bright ultramarine, wing coverts blackish edged with ultra- 

 marine; tail deep ultramarine above, black beneath; a loral spot pale 

 rufous; throat and a patch along the sides of the neck white tinged with 

 orange; cheeks, ear-eoverts and sides of upper breast ultramarine; rest of 

 under surface cinnamon, with a lilae lustre on the flanks and under tail- 

 coverts. Total length 6.5 inches, culmen 1.8, wing 2.9, tail 1.35, tarsus .3. 

 Sexes alike. 



The Purple Kingfisher. 



A. pulchra. 

 Similar to preceding but richer in colour, more purplish blue above, 

 brighter cinnamon rufous or deep bay below; brilliant purplish blue from 

 the cheeks to the aides of the breast and down the flanks. Replaces the 

 preceding in all the northern parts of Australia. 



The Little Kingfisher. 



A. pusilla. 



Northern Territory, North Queensland, New Guinea to Moluccas. 



Upper surface rich ultramarine; tail blue above, black beneath; a 

 loral spot and a patch along the sides of the neck white; under surfaces 

 white. Total length 4.8 inches, culmen 1.15, wing 2, tail .85, tarsus .25. 



