﻿DACELO OCCIDENTALIS. 



(WESTERN LAUGHING KINGFISHER). 



Dacelo occidentalis Gould, P.Z.S., 1869, p. 602. 



D. scapularibus et interscapuliis brunneis : sexibus dissimilibus, mari a cauda cyanea, femina a cauda rufo- 

 brunnea distinguendo : subtus fulvescens : pogonio externo rectricis extimi albo conspicue fasciato. 



Hab. in parte septentrionali Australian occidentalis. 



Head crested, white with the shaft of the feather narrowly bordered with dark brown, 

 giving a striped appearance ; back and scapularies light brown ; upper part of the back 

 white, lower part and rump very rich silvery cobalt; lesser wing-coverts light brown, 

 the greater coverts for the most part bright cobalt ; edge of the wing white ; primary- 

 coverts bright indigo ; quills blackish, white at the base, the outer edge especially of 

 the secondaries broadly washed with indigo, the apex of the feather narrowly edged with 

 white; upper tail-coverts indigo; tail bright indigo above, black beneath, the two centre 

 feathers wholly blue, the others for the most part blue tipped with white and 

 the inner web having a single white bar or spot, the outer rectrix regularly 

 barred with white on both webs for the entire length ; feathers at the base of the bill, 

 cheeks, throat, sides and back of the neck white; ear-coverts white striped with lines of 

 brown ; rest of the under surface of the body pale fulvous, under wing-coverts whitish, 

 faintly barred with many lines of brown ; upper mandible dark horn-colour, yellowish 

 along the base, lower mandible yellowish, darker at the base. Total length 16 inches, of 

 bill from front 3.2, from' gape 4.1, wing 7.5, tail 4.3, tarsus 0.7, middle toe 1.4, hind toe 0.7. 



Female. Similar to the male, but has the upper tail-coverts and tail sienna barred 

 with bright blue. Total length 1G.0 inches, of bill from front 3.0, from gape 3.7, wing 7.8, 

 tail 4.7, tarsus 0.6, middle toe 1.4, hind toe 0.7. 



Hab. NorthWestern Australia {Gregory, mux. J. Gould). 



In a communication made to the Zoological Society on the 25th of November, 1869, 

 this species was described by Mr. Gould, and separated on apparently very good distinc- 

 tions from Dacelo cervina. There is in the North Western species a very decided pre- 

 ponderance in size of bill, and the tails of the male birds differ considerably as will be 

 seen by the accompanying wood-cuts, which represent the outer rectrix of a male of each 

 species. 



