. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. 174 THE TfilDACTYLOUS KINGFISHER \l '-I'ti !. I V-. â »#.-->i>j-j^,'' y. of the tail. The two central tail feathers arc much prolonged, considerably exceeding the others in length, and are very curiously sliaped, being webbed at their bases, bare for nearly the whole of their length, and again webbed at the extremities. Their colour throughout is blue, the tips being white, as are the remaining feathers of the tail with the exception of their l)lue edges. Tlie whole of the under parts ar
. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. 174 THE TfilDACTYLOUS KINGFISHER \l '-I'ti !. I V-. â »#.-->i>j-j^,'' y. of the tail. The two central tail feathers arc much prolonged, considerably exceeding the others in length, and are very curiously sliaped, being webbed at their bases, bare for nearly the whole of their length, and again webbed at the extremities. Their colour throughout is blue, the tips being white, as are the remaining feathers of the tail with the exception of their l)lue edges. Tlie whole of the under parts are white. The Temate Kingfisher is a native of New Guinea, and from thence its skin lias often been sent to Europe, but in a mutilated state, the natives being in the habit of deprivinfr it of its legs and wings before parting with the skin. The Paradise birds were long treated in the same manner, until the sportsmen learned that they could sell the entire bird at a better price than when it liad been mutilated. In the birds which form tlie genus Ceyx there are only three toes, and one of thoiii very strong, the tail is very short, and the bill straight, like that of the common King- fisher of Europe. The reader must note that the word Ceyx is dissyllabic. The TeIDACTYLOUS KiNGFISHEU is a native of Java, Borneo, and the whole of the Indian Archi- pelago, and is said to have been discovered even upon the con- tinent itself. Although a verv little bird, it is one of the mos! brilliantly coloured of the entire group, and hardly yields even to the gem-like luunming-bird in the metallic and glittering colour of its plumage. Even the united aid of pencil and brush can give but little idea of the extreme boiiutv of the colouring of this bird, lor the glowing richness of the tints as they flash and glitter with every movement of the bird and vary momentarily in hue and tone, is far beyond the power of art, and sets at nought the colours of the most skilful painter. The head of the Tr
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectnaturalhistory
