THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
made to record or describe them, probably through Leach’s iU-health. When 
Latham drew up his General History of Birds he described the specimen that 
had been presented to the Linnean Society under the name (Vol. IV., p. II, 
1822) “New-HoUand Kingfisher. Size of the Great Brown Species. Bill the 
same size, colour brown, the under mandible pale; head, neck, and breast 
pale ash-colour streaked across with dusky lines ; chin white ; head furnished 
with a crest, consisting of elongated narrow feathers, streaked with broT^m; 
shoulders dusky black ; lower part of the back and rump fine glossy verditer 
blue ; wing-coverts mixed with the same ; quills black, edged with deep 
blue ; tail deep dirty greerdsh-blue, irregularly marked at the end with 
white ; legs brown. Inhabits New Holland. In the Museum of the Linnean 
Society. This seems to have great affinity with the former, yet differs in 
many points, as may be seen, by comparing them together. We will not, 
however, be positive by being distinct as a species.” 
WTien Vigors and Horsfield described the birds in the Linnean Society 
they gave the name Dacelo leachii to this bird, recording that Latham had 
selected this designation in his Manuscript for the Second Edition of his Index 
Ornithologicus. It is noteworthy that Newton, in his Dictionary of Birds 
(Intro., p. 12), tells us “(Latham) also prepared for publication a second edition 
of his Index Ornithologicus, which was never printed, and the manuscript is 
now in my possession.” Hence we know that this MS. is now preserved at 
Cambridge. Vigors and Horsfield noted : “ The specimen ... by Mr. Brown, 
who discovered it on the 24th October, 1802, in Keppel Bay, on the East 
Coast.” 
Of the typical D. leachii Gould concluded : “ Its habitat may be stated 
to be the Cape York Peninsula and the northern part of Queensland. The 
habits, actions, food, and indeed the whole of the economy of the Dacelo 
leachii are so like those of the D. gigas that a separate description of them 
is unnecessary.” 
Of D. cervina he wrote : “ 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 also 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 on the Cobourg Peninsula, states that it inhabits 
well-wooded forests, generally in pairs, is extremely shy and very 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 
where it pours out its loud, discordant tones. Sometimes three or four pairs 
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