454 THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 



avL-rage in iiioasurcment 1.60X.99 inches. A week often elapses between 

 the laying of the first and the last egg. 



Upon one occasion I noticed a most interesting trait in these birds, 

 wliich I never observed in any other species. While standing in an open 

 woodland listening to a pair of Cuckoos calling to each other, I saw the 

 male suddenly fly past with a large green worm in his bill. He flew directly 

 to the female, who was perched in a tree a few yards distant, and for a 

 moment or two they sat motionless a few inches apart looking at each other. 

 Tiie male then ho\-ered lightly over his mate and, settling gently upon her 

 shoulders, gracefully bent over and placed the worm in her bill. It was a 

 pretty and daintily performed piece of love-making. 



J. H. Bowles. 



No. 181. 



BELTED KINGFISHER. 



A. O. V. No. 390. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). 



Synonym. — Commonly called plain Kingfisher. 



Description. — Adult male: Above, bright bluish gray, feathers with blackish 

 shafts or shaft-lines; loosely crested; edge of wing white; primaries dusky, white- 

 spotted on outer web, narrowly white-tipped, broadly white on inner web ; coverts 

 often delicately tipped or touched with white; tail bluish gray above, the central 

 feathers with herring-bone pattern of dusky ; remaining feathers only blue-edged, 

 dusky, finely and incompletely barred with white ; lower eyelid white, and a white 

 spot in front of eye ; throat and sides of neck, nearly meeting behind, pure white ; 

 a broad band of bluish gray across the breast; remaining underparts white, sides 

 under wing, antl flanks, heavilv shaded with blue-gray ; bill black, pale at base 

 below; feet dark. Adult female: Similar, but with a chestnut band across lower 

 breast, and with heavy shading of the same color on sides. luuiiature: Like 

 adults, except that the plumbeous band of breast is heavily mixed with rusty 

 (suggesting chestnut of female). Length 12.00-14.00 (304.8-355.6) ; wing 6.21 

 (157.7) ; tail 3.84 (97.5) ; bill from nostril 1.69 (42.9). 



Recognition Marks. — "Kingfisher" size ; blue-gray and white coloration ; 

 piscatorial habits; rattling cry. 



Nesting. — A''('.s-f; at end of tunnel in bank, four to six feet in, unlined. Eggs, 

 6-8, pure white. Av. size, 1.31x1.04 (33.3x26.4). Season: May; one brood. 



General Range. — North America from the Arctic Ocean south to Panama 

 and the West Indies. Breeds from the southern border of the United States 

 northward. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident, chiefly at lower levels; partially 

 resident west of the Cascades, and casually resident on the East-side. 



Authorities. — [Lewis and Clark, Hist. Ex. (1814) Ed. Biddle: Cones. Vol. 

 II., p. 189.] Ceryle alcvoii, Boie, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX., 1858, p. 158. 

 T. C&S. L'. D'. Sr. Kb." Ra. D^ Ss'. Ss-'. Kk. J. B. E. 



Specimens.— U. of W. P. Prov. B. BN. E. 



