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INSESSORES. 



resentative of its tribe in the United States; but 

 being abundant wherever fresh water and good fish- 

 ing are to be found, it has become quite familiar, 

 occupying as prominent a place in our Natural His- 

 tory, as the pretty little European species does in the 

 rural landscapes of Great Britain. The form and 



Belted Kingfisher. 



appearance of the Kingfisher are peculiar. A long, 

 sharp, and powerful bill ; a large head, surmounted 

 by a crest that adds fierceness to its look; a thick 

 neck and robust body, but rather small in proportion; 

 wings ample ; legs very short, and feet small. The 

 upper parts of the plumage are bluish lead color, 

 lower parts mostly white; in the male a band of black 

 crosses the upper part of the breast ; in the female 

 the blue tint is not so perceptible, and the band 

 across the breast is reddish brown, the belly being 

 girted with a broad belt of the same color. 



Its favorite places of resort are near inland streams, 



