﻿This splendid Kingfisher is closely allied to the Dacelo Leachi, but differs in the buff 

 colour of the under side of the body, and in the generally brighter tone of the plumage. 

 It is by no means a common bird in collections, those contained in our museums in this 

 country being generally received from Cape York. 



Mr. Gould, who has given very beautiful figures of the species in his great work on 

 the ' Birds of Australia,' has recorded in his ' Handbook ' (I.e.) the following details, which, 

 as they seem to embody all that is known respecting it, I here transcribe : — 



'* The North-Western portions of Australia constitute the true habitat of this species ; 

 it was observed in tolerable abundance by Sir George Grey during his expedition to 

 that part of the country, and specimens of it have formed a part of every collection of any 

 extent made at Port Essington. In disposition it appears to be more shy and wary than 

 the Dacelo gigas of New South Wales, of which it is a representative. Gilbert, who 

 observed it in the Coburg Peninsula, states that it " inhabits well-wooded forests, generally 

 in pairs, is very shy and difficult to procure, and is very fond of perching on the topmost 

 dead branch of a tree, whence it can have an uninterrupted view of everything passing 

 around, and whence it pours out its loud discordant tones. Sometimes three or four pairs 

 may be heard at one time, when the noise is so great that no other sound can be heard. 

 The natives assert that it breeds in the honey-season, which is during the months of May, 

 June and July." 



" In his ' Journal of an overland expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington,' Dr. 

 Leichart states that "the Laughing Jackass (Dacelo cervina, Gould) observed near the 

 Gulf of Carpentaria is of a different species from that of the eastern coast, is of a 

 smaller size, and speaks a different language; but the noise is by no means so ridiculous 

 as that of Dacelo gigas ; he is heard before sunrise, and immediately after sunset, like his 

 representative of the eastern coast ; the latter was observed as far as the Upper L)md, 

 where the new one made his appearance. The food of this Kingfisher is doubtless similar 

 to that of the Dacelo gigas. The stomachs of those examined by Gilbert were tolerably 

 muscular, and contained the remains of Coleopterous and other kinds of insects." 



The figures represented in the opposite plate are taken from an adult pair of birds, 

 the male being a Port Essington specimen lent me by Mr. Gould, and the female one of 

 those recently brought home from Cape York by Messrs Cockerell and Thorpe. The 

 descriptions are from the same birds. 



