THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Adult male. Head, nape, upper back, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts dusky green 
becoming bluish-green on the outer aspect of the primary- and secondary-quills, 
lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts and tail ; inner-webs of flight-quills blackish ; 
inner-webs of tail-feathers edged with dark brown ; lores and cheeks blackish, 
as is also a very narrow line round the hind-neck ; a short white line on each side 
of the fore-head ; a white collar on the hind-neck which joins the white of the 
entire under-surface including the under tail-coverts, axillaries, and under wing- 
coverts ; lower-surface of quills blackish, tail below similar but rather paler. 
Eyes brown, feet blackish-brown ; bill black, lower base whitish. Total length 
265 mm. ; culmen 48, wing 104, tail 67, tarsus 17. Figured. Collected on Melville 
Island, Northern Territory, on the 23rd of November, 1911. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
This species seems to go through the same plumage changes and variations as sancta. 
Nest. A hole in white ants’ nest (Boyd). 
Eggs. Clutch, three (Boyd). White, 31 to 32 mm. by 26 to 27. 
Breeding-season. October to December. 
The original examples of this species were collected by Mr. Bynoe, R.N., 
on the north coast of Australia, the exact locality being unknown to 
Gould who described the species. He later wrote : “ Is rather plentifully 
dispersed over the north-eastern portion of Queensland, or from More ton 
Bay to Cape York.” I designated Cape York in 1913. Little has been 
recorded of the habits of this bird. 
Mr. Tom Carter has written me : “ This species is not given as occur- 
ring in Western Australia in your ‘Reference List.’ It occurred regularly 
along the coast from Point Cloates to the North-West Cape (80 miles) and 
was most frequently observed in the months of February, March and 
April, sometimes in considerable numbers as if on migration. Birds were 
shot on the following dates for identification purposes, as they may be 
mistaken when on the wing for Halcyon sanctus. Sept. 1, 1901 : Shot a 
pair at high sandstone cliffs on beach near Point Cloates. By dissection the 
birds were not breeding. Jan. 5, 1899 : Many were seen. On Jan. 28, 1899 
one was seen on wreck of S.S. Perth about 2J miles out on reef from Point 
Cloates beach. Feb. 21, 1898 : One shot ; also Dec. 27, 1899 and June 15, 1900.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers wrote me from Melville Island : “ Cooper’s Camp, 
Nov. 1, 1911 : These birds have a nest in a large eucalyptus tree about 
50 yards from the beach. The nest is in a hollow limb about 60 feet 
from the ground. I cannot chmb tliis tree. This species is fairly numerous, 
and so far I have not seen it far from the mangroves : it seems to prefer 
the scattered mangroves growing along the foreshore to the dense growths 
of the tidal creeks. They are rather noisy birds, and can be heard for a 
considerable distance. They are usually seen in small scattered parties up 
to five or six in number, but are occasionally seen singly.” 
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