PASSERES — ALCEDINIDjE — ALCEDO. 45 



FAMILY ALCEDINID^E. 



Bill long, straight, compressed, angulated, robust. Mandibles opening to beneath the eyes. 

 Neck short. Tarsus very short, scutellate in front. Anterior toes united for more than 

 half their length ; hind toe small. Solitary, feeding on insects or fishes. Breed in holes 

 near the banks of streams. 



GENUS ALCEDO. Linn^us. 



Bill robust, tetragonal, pointed ; the ridge above distinct, somewhat flattened ; the edges 

 nearly straight, without notch : upper mandible slightly longest. Nostrils basal, adjacent, 

 oblong, oblique, half closed by a naked membrane. Tarsus half the length of the middle 

 toe ; claw of the middle toe dilated in front. Third quill longest ; second subequal. Tail 

 of twelve feathers. 



THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 



Alcedo alcyon. 



PLATE XIX. FIG. 40 (Male). FIG. 41 (Young). 



(STATE COLLECTION. Male and young). 



Alcedo alcyon. Linn^us, 12 ed. p. 180. 

 Belled Kingfisher. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 279. 



A. alcyon. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol 3, p. 59, pi. 23. fig. 1. Auddbon, folio, pi. 97 (m. and f. ) ; Orn. Biog. Vol. 

 1, p. 394. Nut-tall, Man. Ornith. Vol. 1, p. 594, figure. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 339. 

 A. id., Belted Kingfisher. Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 172. 



Characteristics. Bluish above, with a belt of the same color across the breast ; beneath 

 white. Head crested : a white spot on each side of the eye. Female 

 and young, with two rust-colored belts across the breast. Length, 12 

 inches. 



Description. Bill with a longitudinal furrow on each side of the ridge of the upper man- 

 dible. Tail short, nearly even, slightly rounded, reaching beyond the tips of the closed 

 wings. 



Color. Bluish slate above. Breast bluish white. A white spot, varying in size and shape, 

 above and beneath the eye. Quills black, barred with white at the base. Secondaries spotted 

 and tipped with white, forming narrow bars on the expanded wings. Central pair of tail- 

 feathers bluish above, obsoletely spotted with white near the shafts ; the remainder black, 

 with interrupted white bars bordered with blue. A light blue broad belt over the breast. 

 Female and young, with a double belt ; the upper rusty tinged with blue ; the lower nar- 

 rower, rust-colored, and expanded over the flanks. 



Length, 12' 0-12-5. 



