300 Passeres. BIRDS. Alcedinid.e. 
sists principally of insects, of which it devours great 
quantities ; and Mr. Gould states that, on the banks of 
the Hunter river, its favourite diet consists of the 
larvse of a species of ant, which it procures by digging 
holes into the nest. It will also devour small snakes 
and lizards, and on the coast it feeds freely on crabs 
and other Crustacea. It breeds in the hollow spouts 
of the gum-trees, or in hollow apple-trees, and the 
breeding season commences in October. The eggs are 
four or live in number, and pure white. 
Several other species of the genus Halajon inhabit 
Australia ; they are all birds of brilliant plumage, but 
their habits are very similar to those of the preceding 
species. 
THE SACRED KINGFISHER {Halcyon sacra), which 
is a native of the Society Islands, and of some other 
parts of the Poljmesian Archipelago, is of a blue colour 
above, and whitish beneath ; over each eye is a pale 
red streak, and underneath a blue stripe. It is called 
th'e Sacred Kingfisher on account of the veneration 
in which it was held by the natives of Otaheite, who 
regarded it as a divinity, under the name of Eatua. 
THE WHITE-HEADED KINGFISHER {Halcyon leuco- 
cephala), a native of India and Java, measures about 
twelve inches in length, and is of a bluish-green colour, 
with the head and neck, and the lower surface, yel- 
lowish-white ; the crown of the head is streaked with 
black ; the bill is of a blood-red colour. This species, 
which is called the Gurial by the Hindoos of Bengal, 
where it is more common than in other parts of India, 
is a powerful and courageous bird ; one of them has 
been seen to compel a hawk of considerable size to 
quit his hold upon it by a severe blow upon the chest. 
Unlike the preceding species, this bird is a fisher, 
perching upon a bush or tree close to the water, and 
watching there for the appearance of its prey, upon 
which it darts down with a sudden and violent plunger 
Its note is a sort of screaming laugh. 
THE INDIAN KINGFISHER {Halcyon fusca), an 
abundant species in the peninsula of Hindostan, and in 
the countries to the eastward, is also a fishing bird, 
commonly frequenting the banks of rivers and brooks, 
and the wet paddy-fields, where it preys upon small 
fishes, frogs, tadpoles, and aquatic insects. It does 
not confine itself to these situations, ho'Cvever, but also 
visits the dry cultivated ground in search of small 
lizards, grasshoppers, and other insects. Its voice is a 
loud, harsh, rattlmg scream. Passing over several 
other Indian species, we may notice — 
THE RED-BELLIED KINGFISHER {Halcyon serni- 
cccrulea), an inhabitant of Senegal, and other parts of 
the west coast of Africa. This bird is of a bluish- 
green colour above, with a black streak behind the 
eyes, and a black spot on the wings ; the lower sur- 
face is yellowish-red. The length of the bird is about 
twelve inches. It is described by Forster as the Crab- 
eating kingfisher, but this may be only an occasional 
habit. Other African species are the Senegal King- 
fisher {H. senegalensis) ; the Blue-collared King- 
fisher {H. cincreifrons) ; the Chelicuti Kingfisher 
(//. Chelicuti); and the Brown-hooded Kingfisher 
(//. fuscicapilla), the last from the Cape of Good 
Hope. 
THE TERNATE KINGFISHER {Tanysiptera Dea), so 
called from its having been originally discovered in the 
island of Ternate, is also abundant in New Guinea, 
where, according to Lesson, it is named Manesoukouv 
by the natives. It is remarkable for having the two 
middle feathers .of the wedge-shaped tail excessively 
elongated in the male ; they are narrowed in the 
middle, and again expanded at the apex. Two other 
allied species have been described. 
THE THREE-TOED KINGFISHER {Ceyx tridactyla), 
with three or four 'allied species, inhabits the islands of 
the Eastern Archipelago. Little is known of the 
habits of these birds, which differ from Halcyon, as 
Ceryle does from Alcedo, namely, in the want of the 
inner front toe. The foot has only three toes, two in 
front, and one behind, and the anterior toes are united 
for the greater part of their length. The three-toed 
Kingfisher is of an azure-blue colour above, and 
yellowish-white beneath ; its bill is yellowish. 
THE GREEN JACAMAR {Galhula viridis). The 
group to which the name of Jacamars is given by 
ornithologists, is distinguished by having a long, slen- 
der, straight, or slightly curved and pointed bill, less 
powerful than that of the species described in the pre- 
ceding pages ; a long, graduated tail, short tarsi, and 
the toes arranged either in two pairs. Or two in front 
and one behind, the anterior toes being united. They 
are all brilliant birds, and inhabit the tropical parts of 
the western hemisphere. 
The Green Jacamar is an inhabitant of Brazil and 
Guiana, where it dwells in the recesses of the forest, 
and passes its life in solitude. It feeds entirely upon 
insects, which it pursues with a short but rapid flight. 
According to some writers, this bird has an agreeable 
song. The eggs are deposited in a hole of a tree. 
This bird is about eight inches in length, and is very 
brilliant in its appearance, the whole upper surface of 
the body being of a beautiful golden-green colour, the 
breast yellow, traversed by a broadband of golden 
green, and the belly reddish. 
THE LONG-TAILED JACAMAR {Galhula leptura)— 
Plate 7, fig. 22 — a native of Brazil and Guiana, is of a 
golden eoppery-green colour above and red beneath, 
with a golden green band across the breast, and the chin 
and throat white ; the tail is long, with the feathers 
graduallj'' increasing in length to the two middle ones, 
which are the longest, and golden green, the rest being 
red. The total length of the bird is rather more than 
ten inches. The Long-tailed Jacamar resides in the 
moist woods, where it leads a solitary life, percliing 
upon branches at* a moderate height from the ground, 
and often sitting there motionless for a considerable 
portion of the day. It is not uncommon, and its flesh 
is sometimes eaten by the natives of Brazil. Its song 
is said to be agreeable, although very short. 
THE PARADISE JACAMAR {Galhula paradisech) is 
another long-tailed species, which inhabits Guiana. 
It measures nearly a foot in length, but of this a great 
deal is to be attributed to the tail, of which the two 
middle feathers are six inches long; the feathers on 
each side of these diminish rapidly in length, the outer- 
most being only about one inch long. Its plumage is 
green above, with various lustres, according to the 
/ 
