SACRED KINGFISHER. 
Campbell and Barnard (Emu^ Vol. XVII., p. 17, 1917) discussing 
birds of the Rockingham Bay district observed : “ Fairly common about 
Cardwell ; often seen about the mangroves and fishing about the beach. 
We have no doubt that they were the common migratory sanctus. We 
did not observe any breeding.” 
Captain S. A. White writes : “ This was once a very common bird at the 
Reedbeds, and once in numbers along the River Torrens. Where it used to 
breed in the banks of the river it has now almost disappeared, due mostly to 
the sewer rat driving them out of their nesting burrows ; some took to the 
hollow tree spouts, but I fancy the imported English Starling drove them away 
from all hollow trees. This Kingfisher is only found on the banks of streams 
near the coast, and I have never once seen it in the dry interior. The call is 
a monotonous one, repeated for hours. Food consists of insects, and at times 
small fish, but I have never seen it dive under water for the latter. Nesting 
tunnel is made into the bank up to eighteen inches in depth, when the egg- 
chamber is hollowed out and four round white eggs placed on the bare earth 
without any lining.” 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin’s notes read : “ AU the years I lived here up 
till 1907 (the first time I saw the Red-backed species) this bird was very 
plentiful, but since that year they have been rather scarce. I am of the 
opinion that they do not like each other’s company. In their nesting 
habits they somewhat differ from the Red-backed species, as they prefer to 
nest near water, and when they resort to river banks or creeks, they always 
choose soft soil ; but most of them nest in hollow branches of trees, and 
they are not very particular as to height. I have seen their nesting hollows 
from about two feet above water, in a hollow branch, up to about sixty 
feet from the ground. They use no nesting material, simply laying their 
eggs on the decaying wood, when nesting in a tree, or the powdered soil 
when nesting in a bank. Although it may often be seen miles away from 
any water in thick scrubs, it prefers the open forest country in the 
vicinity of rivers, large dams, swamps, and lagoons, etc. They will often 
betray the presence of their nest by loud cries, or by darting down 
towards an intruder. Their food cliiefly consists of crickets, yabbies, graiiss- 
hoppers, and suchhke insects. It does not remain here throughout the 
year, being only seen during the summer months, and all the nests I 
have examined containing eggs have been during the month of November. 
The clutch is mostly either four or five eggs. When drilling a nesting 
hole, both birds assist in the work of excavation in exactly the same 
manner as Dacelo gigas.** 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has written me : ” These birds are the most common 
VOL. vir. 
185 
