HALCYON PYERHOPYCIA.
(RED-BACKED K IN G F ISH E R .)
Halcyon pyrrhopygia
Todiramphus pyrrhopygiut
Cyanalcyon pyrrhopygia .
Sauropatis pyrrhopygia .
Dacelo pyrrhopygia .
Gould, P.Z.S. 1840, p. 113.
Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 157 (1850).
Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. p. 9 (1854).
Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 161 (1860).
Schl, Mus, Pays Bas, Alced. p. 39 (1863),
E . dorso postico et uropygio rufis.
Hah. in p a rte central! AustralasisB,
Head b rig h t green, strip ed Avith Avhite, more distinctly oA'er the eye, th u s forming a
white eyebroAv; cheeks and a narrow line ro u n d the back o f the neck black; a spot iu front
o f the eye and a coUar ro u n d the neck w liite ; middle o f the back, scapulars, and AA’ing-
coverts b rig h t g reen ish -h lu e ; lower p a rt o f the hack, rump, aud upper tail-coverts b rig h t
ch e sn u t; quills blackish, white on the in n er Aveb; the o u ter Aveh, especially o f the
w h i t e ; e n tir e u n d e r -s u rf a c e p u r e Avhite; b ill b la c k ish , y e llow ish a t th e b a s e ; fe e t d a r k
olive-broAAui; e y e b la c k ish - broAvn. T o ta l l e n g th 8Y m ch e s, o f b ill from f r o n t 1 '5 , from
g a p e 2-0, w in g 4 '1 , t a i l 2-6, t a r s u s 0-4, m id d le to e 0-7, h in d to e 0 '2 5 .
Hah. Central A u stra lia {Gould, Ramsay).
N o oth er Halcyon can b e confounded Avith the present bird, which is a t once to be distin
g u ish ed from th e other species o f the genus h y its re d back. I t is a v e r y rare b frd hi
collections, and the folloAving appears to be all th a t is knoAvn of its hahits and economy,
Mr. Gould, hi his recen t “ Handbook,” publishes the accompanying details:—
“ This Kiugiisher is an in h ab itan t o f the interior, b u t over what ex ten t o f coimtry is
n o t y e t knoAvn. The only p a rts where I myself observed i t were the myall hushes {Acacia
pendula) o f th e loAver Namoi, p a rticu la rly those growing on the edge o f the large iihiin
sk irtin g tlie Nundawar range. I t Avas u sually seen sittm g very u p rig h t on the dead
Additional references,—//«(ci/on pyrrhopygia, Gray, Gon. of B. I, p. 79 (1S4 G); Gould, Intr. B. of Austr.
p. 80 (1848); id. B. of Austr. II, pl. 22 (1848); Gray, Cat. Fiss. Brit. Mus. p. 57 (1848);V , . I'iiy, Cat Eeich. Vog. Neuholl.
p. 277 (1850); Gray, Ilandl. of B. I, p. 92 (1869). Todiraynp.
t. ccccxx, fig. 3141 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. '
Handb. B. of Austr. I, p. 130 (1865).
(s, Eeich. Handb. Alced. I, p. S3,
Hale. Phil. Mus. p. 4 (1852) ; id. U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 218 (1858) ; Gould,
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