Kingfishers 147 



The parents fed the young for a time till they knew 

 how to care for themselves. As soon as they developed 

 strength and experience the old birds led them to the river 

 about a mile distant, where they broke a way for them- 

 selves in the great world of bird life. 



I never knew just what became of the father with 

 the broken bill. He may have starved to death the fol- 

 lowing winter, or the injured part of his bill may have 

 been gradually replaced by a new growth. The next year 

 I saw two kingfishers about the same locality, but neither 

 had a broken bill. 



THE KINGFISHER FAMILY 



The Kingfisher is a bird easily recognized because it is common 

 everywhere along streams. It is about a foot in length, has a big crested 

 head and a long beak. It lives on fish, plunging headlong in the water 

 to catch its meal. 



Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon): Male, crest and upper parts, 

 bluish-gray; bill, long and sharp; under parts and collar, white, with 

 blue-gray belt across breast. Female, like male, but breast-band and 

 sides of belly tinged with red-brown. Common throughout the United 

 States, arriving from the South in March. Nest in a hole in a bank. 

 Eggs, six to eight, pure white. 



