﻿Hob. Northern and North-Eastern Australia (Gould), as far south as the Clarence 

 River (Ramsay), Lizard Island, Torres Strait (Ramsay). 



Although nearly allied to the Moluccan H. diops, the present species may always be 

 recognised by the following characters: — the extent of the yellow at the base of the bill is 

 sufficient to distinguish the males, for in H. diops the mandible is entirely black or at most 

 only a tiny spot of yellow is to be seen, while the basal half of the mandible in H. macleayi 

 is always yellowish white ; the females, however, of the two species are very dissimilar, 

 that of H. macleayi being pure white underneath and having no blue pectoral band. 



Messrs. Hombron and Jacquinot (Ann. Sci. Nat. 2cde ser. xvi, p. 315, 1841) mention 

 a Kingfisher under the ungrammatical title of u Alcedo diopthalmo-rufo-ventro, v which 

 Mr. G. R. Gray subsequently named Halcyon jacquinoti. The locality is said to be Vavao, 

 in the Tonga Islands ; but recent explorations have failed to procure any Kingfisher of the 

 subgenus Cyanalcyon in that locality, so that I think there can be little doubt that some 

 mistake has occurred as to the habitat of the bird, for the description is certainly that of H. 

 macleayi. 



My good friend Mr. E. P. Ramsay has given me the following interesting note: — 

 " This beautiful species is very abundant in the neighbourhood of Grafton, on the 

 Clarence River. Its range extends to the north as far as Lizard Island, Torres' Strait, 

 while I have never known it to wander further south than the Clarence River district. In 

 its habits it closely resembles Halcyon sanctus, but appears to prefer a more watery and 

 scrubby district. During September, 1866, I found them breeding. They had excavated 

 holes in the nests of the white ants which were on trees growing in a swamp about three 

 miles distant from Grafton, their tunnel and nests being the same as those of H. sanctus. 

 In this locality they were very numerous, and as I stayed some time in the neighbourhood 

 I had ample opportunities of observing their habits. The note is a peculiar shrill cry not 

 unlike that of a tree-cricket, for which at first I frequently mistook it. It is frequently 

 varied, and not always of the same monotonous tone as that of H. sanctus. The eggs are 

 four or five in number, round and pearly white, a little smaller than those of H. sanctus ; 

 they are laid in the latter end of September." 



The following are Mr. Gould's notes on the species (I.e.): — 



" The extreme brilliancy of the plumage of this bird would indicate that it is a native 

 of the hotter portions of the country, and the correctness of this inference is borne out by 

 the fact that it inhabits all the eastern provinces from Moreton Bay to the extreme northern 

 portions of the continent ; it is tolerably abundant at Port Essington, and it is also spread 

 over nearly every part of the Cobourg Peninsula suited to its habits: like the other 

 members of the genus to which it belongs it is rarely if ever seen near water, and evinces 

 so decided a preference for the forests of the interior that it has obtained the name of 

 " Bush Kingfisher " from the residents at Port Essington ; it is generally dispersed about 

 in pairs, and feeds on small reptiles, insects aud their larvas ; its general note is a lon&pee- 

 pee uttered with considerable rapidity. It incubates in November and December, some- 

 times forming its nest in the hollow trunks of trees, and at others excavating a hole for 

 itself in the nest of the tree-ants, which present so prominent and singular a feature in the 

 scenery of the country; the nest of the C. macleayi is easily discovered, for on the approach 

 of an intruder the birds immediately commence flying about in a very wild manner, uttering 

 at the same time a loud piercing cry of alarm ; the eggs are three or four in number, of a 

 pearly white, and nearly round in form, being eleven lines long by ten broad." 



Mr. Diggles in his "Ornithology of Australia" has figured only the male. On the 

 same plate he figures what he calls " Halcyon sanctus," but the illustration is a capital 

 representative of the young male //. Macleayi, and I have no hesitation in referring this 

 figure to the present bird. His account of its habits is subjoined : — 



"This handsome species is found in Queensland and the northern portions of 



