2ns 



Jidliers (whidi have 

 usually short tails) hy 

 Imving the two mid- 

 dle tail-featbers im- 

 mensely lengthened 

 and very narrowly webbed, 

 but terminated by a spoon 

 shaped enlaTgement, as in 

 the motinot.-a and some of 

 the liuramin<T-birds. They 

 Itelon*^ to tliat division of 

 the fiimily termed kiiig- 

 hnntere, living chiefly on 

 insects and small land-mol- 

 luscs, which they dart down 

 upon and pick np fi'om the 

 gmund, just as a kingfisher 

 ]jicks a fish out of the water. 

 They are confined to a very 

 limited area, comprising the 

 Moluccas, New Guinea, and 

 Northern Australia About 

 ten species of these birds 

 are now known, all much 

 resembling each otiier, but 

 yet siitficiently distingviish- 

 able in every locality. The 

 Amboynese species, of 

 which a very accurate re- 

 presentation is here giveji, 

 is one of the largest and 

 handsomest It is fuU sevim- 

 teen inches long to the tips 

 of the tail-feathers; the bill 

 is coral red, the nuder-snr- 

 face pure white, the back 

 and wings deep purpli'. 

 while the shoulders, head 

 and nape, and some spots 

 1 1)1 the upper part of the 

 back and wiug.^, are p\;re juwi-i-TAiLKD KiTtcnitHni. 



