BLUE- WINGED KINGFISHER. 
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. Leichhardt 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 Lynd, 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.” 
In the Emu (Vol. II., p. 29, 1902) E. H. Webb, writing from the Herbert 
River, North Queensland, recorded : “ Dacelo leacJiii as a Poultry Thief. — This 
bird bears a rather evil reputation in this district as a chicken-stealer. That 
it does kill and eat chickens in considerable numbers there is no doubt, for 
residents here agree in considering it as bad as a hawk. It deals with chickens 
just as with lizards, etc., pouncing on and canning them off to a neighbouring 
tree, where, after knocking their brains out against a limb, it swallows them 
whole. The great Kingfisher often seizes the chicks in spite of a brave 
resistance on the part of the mother. Only small chickens, up to about two 
or three weeks old, are taken. This bad habit of an otherwise harmless and 
useful bird will probably lead to the destruction of a large number, the Birds 
Protection Act notwithstanding.” 
Bemey observes {Emu Vol. VI., p. 44, 1906) : “ Dacelo leachii is generally 
to be found in the river gums, where it betrays its presence by its poor attempt 
to laugh.” * 
Macgillivray recorded {Emu^ Vol. XIII., p, 160, 1914) : ‘‘ Fairly common 
on the Cloncurry, and numerous on the Leichhardt. At Cape York they were 
also common, frequenting and nesting in the trees in open forest. For nesting 
purposes they usually choose a hollow spout, whereas D. minor usually 
burrows into a termite’s nest in a tree ; on one occasion, however, Mr. M‘L^nnan 
found a nesting-hole of D. leachii in a termite’s nest. At Cape York most of 
the nests found contained only two eggs or one young bird. No doubt the 
extreme and unusual dryness of the season accomited for the small clutches, 
as I have noted the same to occur in Victoria in respect to D, gigas.'‘'‘ 
Ramsay, writing about the birds of Rockingham Bay, North Queensland, 
stated : “ Plentiful and easily procured when not wanted ! The furthest south 
I have noticed this species was about the Mary and Burnet rivers ; but I have 
135 
