SACRED KINGFISHER. 
Halcyon cinnamominus {nec Swainson) Lesson, Voy. CoquiUe Zool., Vol. I., p. 343, 1826 : 
pt. n., p. 696, 1830, 
Dacelo chlorocephala, var. /3 Lesson, Traite d’Ornith., p. 246, 1830. 
Alcyon sanctus Lesson, ih. 
Alcyone ruficollaris Bankier, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Vol. VI., p. 394, 1841 : Port 
Essington (N.T.) 
Todiram'phus sancta Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Av., Vol. I., p. 156, 1850 ; Gould, Handb. 
Birds Austr., Vol. I., p. 128, 1865 ; Ramsay, Ibis, 1866, p. 327 (Q.) ; id., Proc. 
Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1875, p. 582 (Q.) ; Masters, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. I., p. 47, 
1875 (N.Q.). 
Todiramphus “ australasice ” Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Av., Vol. I., p. 156, 1850. 
Sauropatis samta Cabanis and Heine, Mus. Hein., Vol. II., p. 158, 1860. 
Dacelo sancta Sclilcgc l, Mus. de Pays Bas, Alced., Vol. III., p. 35, 1863. 
Halcyon ivestralasianus Campbell, Emu, Vol. I., p. 25, 1901 ; Vasse, West Australia ; 
Mathews, Handl. Birds Austral., p. 54, 1908 ; Le Souef, Emu, Vol. VIII., p, 63, 
1908 ; G. F. Hill, ih., Vol. X., p. 271, 1911 (N.W.A.). 
Halcyon sanctus sanctus Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 288, 1912. 
Halcyon sanctus westralasianus Mathew'S, ih., p. 289. 
Halcyon sanctus ramsayi Mathews, ib. : Parry’s Creek, North-west Australia. 
Halcyon sanctus confusus Mathews, ih. : Cooktown, North Queensland. 
Sauropatis sancta sancta Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 149, 1913. 
Sauropatis sancta westralasiana Mathews, 46. 
Sauropatis sancta ramsayi Mathews, ih. 
Sauropatis sancta confusa Mathews, ib. 
Sauropatis sancta ruficollaris Mathews, Austral Avian Record, Vol. II., p. 129, 1915. 
Distribution. Australia ; Tasmania ; Extra-limit al. 
Adult female. Upper back and scapulars dull green ; lower back, wings, and tail bluish- 
green ; inner-webs of primary- and sc condarj^-quills dark brown with pale edges ; 
tail-feathers slightly edged w ith pale bre w n on the inner-w ebs ; upper teil-co verts 
brighter and inclining to cobalt -blue ; head also bluish-green, brighter above and 
behind the eye ; lores blackish cemtinued in a line below the eye on to the hinder 
face and extended in a narrow line round the hind-neck ; a supraloral streak of 
buff which is extended to above the eye ; chin and throat white ; a collar round the 
hind-neck, breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts pale' sa.nd3'-buff, rather deeper 
in colour on the sides of the body, axilla rics, and under wing-coverts ; under- 
surface of quills and lower aspect of tail pale brown. Eyes blackish-brown ; feet 
and tarsus brown ; bill black, lower base whitish. Total length 214 mm. ; culmdn 
40, wing 90, tail 60, tarsus 14. Figured. Collected at Parry’s Creek, North-west 
Australia, on the lOth of October, 1908. 
Adult male. Similar to the adult female, but with a buffy tinge on the under-surface, and 
the collar on the back of the neck. 
Immature. Resemble the adult in general appearance, but much duller. Some examples 
have the under-surface and collar on the back of the nock cinnamon or buff. Like 
the bird described Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Vol. VI., No. 38, p. 394, 1841. 
Nest. A hole in a tree or white ants’ nest. 
181 
