158 
Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on a 
River, South-west Australia. It is undoubtedly an example 
of H. sanctus in worn plumage, which accounts for the 
differences in colour mentioned in the description. Mr. 
Campbell writes :—“ Should the examination of a series 
of specimens from Western Australia prove the bird to be a 
new or western variety, I venture to suggest for it the 
name of H. westralasianus” This method of giving new 
names on the chance of their proving valid seems to me to be 
founded on an entirely wrong principle ; it would surely have 
been better to wait till a series from Western Australia 
could be examined, when Mr. Campbell would have seen 
that his supposed new species was merely a well-known 
state of plumage of H. sanctus , which occurs equally among 
a series from Eastern Australia. 
[The Sacred Kingfisher is plentiful in the south-west, 
but does not extend far inland; it is said to occur as far 
north as Houtman’s Abrolhos where it appears to be a 
straggler.— G. C. 8.] 
Halcyon pyrrhopygius Gould. 
Halcyon pyrrhopygius Math. p. 54. 
a. o . Southern Cross, Dec. 
b-h. $ $ . Laverton, 13th-22nd Oct. 
i. S • Kurrawang, 20th Sept. 
k. $ . Carnarvon, 25th Aug. 
Iris dark brown; bill dusky black, base of the lower 
mandible of a flesh-colour; legs pale olive-brown. 
Total length, measured in the flesh, 8 75-9 5 inches. 
[The Red-backed Kingfisher was plentiful in the central 
and western divisions, where it replaces H. sanctus. It was 
particularly numerous round Laverton, and while preferring 
the well-watered districts, was not confined to them.— 
G. C. 8.] 
Dacelo cervina Gould. 
Dacelo cervina Math. p. 54. 
a-h. $ $ . Clifton Downs, 20th Sept.-10th Oct. 
Iris white; bill light brown above, of a dusky flesh colour 
below; legs dusky buff tinged above with olivaceous. 
