BIIWS OB' KANSAS. 393 



Iris bi-OM-n; legs, feet and claws darkish bine. 



These birds are similar in actions and habits to the Yellow- 

 billed; but more inclined to nest in open groves, and bushes 

 upon the uplands; and their nests are a little more compactly 

 built, thougii at best a loose, flat structure. Eggs smaller, a 

 sliade darker, and more rounded in form. 



Suborder ALCYONES. Kingfishers. 



Toes, three before, one behiucl. {Ridgicay.) 



The outer and middle toes with basal phalanges united. 



Family ALCEDINIDJE. Kingfishers. 

 Bill longer than head, with straight outlines, the cutting edges smooth fin all 

 American species); tall much shorter than wing, with middle feathers { in Amer- 

 ican species) not longer than the rest; tarsus only about half as long as middle 

 toe. {Bidgwaij.) 



Genus CERYLE Bote. 

 ''Bill long, straight and strong, the culmen slightly advancing on the fore- 

 head and sloping to the acute tip; the sides much compressed; the lateral margins 

 rather dilated at the base and straight to the tip; the gonys long and ascending. 

 Tail rather long and broad. Tarsi short and stout." 



Subgenus STREPTOCERYLE Bonaparte. 

 Wing 6.00, or more; tarsus about as long as hind toe, much shorter than Inner 

 anterior toe; plumage without metallic gloss. Upper parts plumbeous blue or 

 bluish plumbeous, more or less streaked with black (especially on top of head ) 

 the tan feathers transversely spotted with white, these markings usually more 

 or less hidden in closed tail; chin, throat and collar round hindneck pure white 

 (Eidgway.) 



Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). 



BELTED KINGFISHER. 

 PLATE XXL 



A common summer resident, and, when the winters are mild 

 an occasional resident. Begin laying about the last of April. ' 



B. 117. R. 382. C. 423. G. 177, 151. U. 390. 



Habitat. The whole of North America; south to Panama 

 including the West Indies. 



lu.t?; T""' .',!^''h '''"' ^ '""^ "'"''• '^''""^' ^'^^ '^^"«' ^'tho"* metallic 

 uster. Beneath, with a concealed band across the occiput, and a spot anterior 



to the eye, Pure white. A band across the breast, and the sides of the body under 



the wings, like the back. Primaries white on the basal half, the terminal spotted 



Tail with transverse bands and spots of white. Female and young with sides 



neol'r J, T t ""T *'' ''"' ^ '•^''" '''' "^"^^^^-^^ «"^) ''^"^^ chestnut; the 



pectoral band more or less tinged with the same." 



