APPENDIX TO PREVIOUS VOLUMES. xiii 



various parts of Asia and Africa. A bird of this species was 

 shot, in January 1845, on the estate of the Earl of Shannon, 

 in the county of Cork. It was described by Mr. R. Davis, 

 jun., of Clonmel, in a letter to Mr. Thompson, as " a minia- 

 ture of the Golden Eagle, about a third less than a male of 

 that species ; except the tail-coverts, and some spots on the 

 wing-coverts and breast, it is entirely of a deep glossy blackish- 

 brown." Another bird of the same species had been killed 

 in the same place a few days before. 



3. Cuculus glandarius. Great Spotted Cuckoo. Feathers 

 of the head elongated, acuminate, forming a decumbent crest 

 of a dark-grey colour ; upper parts greyish-black, the feathers 

 of the wings and the tail-coverts tipped with white ; the tail 

 long, graduated, dark greyish-brown, tipped with white, the 

 medial feathers lighter. 



. Inhabits northern Africa and the south of Europe, occa- 

 sionally extending into Germany. An individual, pursued 

 by Hawks, had flown into a hole in a stone wall, and was 

 caught by two persons in March, 1842, in the island of Omagh. 

 It is now in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin. 



4. Ceryle Alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. The genus Ceryle 

 differs little from Alcedo, the bill being only stouter, and the 

 general form more robust ; the wings long, pointed, with the 

 second and third quills longest ; the tail short and even. 



The celebrated Belted Kingfisher of America is about 

 twelve inches in length, crested, with the upper parts, cheeks, 

 and a broad belt across the fore part of the breast, light blue, 

 the shaft of each feather darker ; the lower parts white ; a 

 small white spot before the eye, and another on the lower 

 eyelid ; quills black, primaries barred with white at the base, 

 and having the inner web of that colour for half its length, 

 secondaries broadly edged with light blue, dotted and tipped 

 Avith white, and having the inner web barred with the same ; 

 tail-feathers dusky, edged with blue, barred and tipped with 

 white. Female with the sides, and a band across the middle 

 of the breast light red. 



Two individuals have been met with in Ireland, as re- 

 corded by Mr. Thompson. One of them was shot by Frede- 

 rick A. Smith, Esq., at Annsbrook, county of Meath, on the 



vol. iv. b 



