﻿DACELO CERVINA. 



(BUFF LAUGHING KINGFISHER). 



Dacelo cervina Gould, Birds of Austr. II, pi. 20 (c. 1346). 



Paralcyon cervina ...... Cab. & Heine, Mus. Ilein. th. II, p. 164 (1860). 



Dacelo cervicalis Kaup. Fam. Eisv., p. 8 (1848.) 



Dacelo sahissii Hombr. & Jacq., Voy. Pol. Sud. Ill, p. 100, pi. 23 



(1853). 



Ld rool, of the Aborigines of Port Essington (Gould). 



D. seapularibus et interscapulio brunneis : sexibus dissirailibus, mari a, cauda oyanea, femlnfi a cauda rufo- 

 brunnea distinguendo : subtus fulvescens : pogonio externo rectricis extima? haud albo fasciato. 



Hab. in peninsula" Cape York" dicta. 



Male. Head crested, white, with dark brown longitudinal stripes down the centre of 

 each feather, the sides of the head near the nape tinged with greenish blue ; the forehead 

 tinged with buff ; cheeks and ear-coverts buny- white with thin longitudinal streaks of 

 brown ; sides of the neck and a collar encircling the latter, buff with a'few brown markings ; 

 upper part of the back and scapularies dark brown, the edges of the feathers being a little 

 lighter ; wing-coverts very rich silvery cobalt ; edge of the wing white ; primary coverts 

 prussian blue ; quills blackish, paler underneath, white at the base and for the greater part 

 of the inner web, the outer web margined with blue, especially on the secondaries ; entire 

 back very rich silvery cobalt ; tail bright indigo above, blackish beneath, all the feathers 

 tipped with white, and having one (sometimes two) irregular bars of white near the end of 

 the feather, the outer web of the exterior rectrix uniform blue, except a white spot near the 

 end of the feather ; chin white, extending a little way down the throat ; rest of the under 

 surface of the body buff with minute transverse vermiculations ; upper mandible brownish 

 horn colour, lower mandible yellowish, brown at the base ; feet olive-brown. Total length 

 16 inches, of bill from front 2.7, from gape 3.7, wing 7.5, tail 5.3, tarsus 0.9, middle toe I 4, 

 hind toe 0.6. 



Female. Similar to the male, but the tail rufous-brown, barred with bright blue. 

 Hab. Cape York (Cockerell) Port Essington (Gould). 



Additional references. — Dacelo cervina, Gray, Gen of Birds, I, p. 78 (1846), id. Cat. Fiss. Brit. Muh. p. 51 

 (1848), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 154 (1850), Reich. Vog. Neuholl, p. 38 (1850), id. Ilandb. Alced., p. 40, t. 

 cccxxviii, fig. 3164-65 (1851), Cass. Cat. Hale, Phil. Mus. p. 16 (1852). Gray, P.Z.S., 1858, p. 189, Schl. 

 Mus. PaysBas, Alced., p. 19 (1868), Gould, Handb. Birds of Austr. I, p. 125 (1865), Gray, Hand-list of Birds, 

 p. 89 (1869). 



