667 



ALCEDIN.E. 



KINGFISHERS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 



The birds of this group are of small or moderate size, with 

 the body compact, the neck short, the head rather large and 

 oblong. The bill is longer than the head, straight, or slightly 

 arched, opening to beneath the middle of the eye, pentagonal 

 at the base, four-sided in the rest of its extent, compressed, and 

 tapering to a point. The tongue is very short, fleshy, with the 

 sides nearly parallel, and the tip bluntish. The oesophagus is 

 wide ; the stomach very large, roundish, somewhat compressed ; 

 the intestine long and very slender, without coeca. Plate XXII, 

 Fig. 7. The feet are very small ; the tarsus short and bare ; the 

 toes small ; the first smallest and directed backwards ; the ante- 

 rior united in part of their extent, and incapable of spreading ; 

 the claws well-curved, slender, compressed, acute, but feeble, 

 having very thin margins. The plumage is blended but gene- 

 rally firm, and often highly coloured. The wings are of mode- 

 rate length, broad, of about twenty-three quills. The tail of 

 twelve feathers, but varying in length and form. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE BRITISH GENERA AND SPECIES. 



GENUS I. ALCEDO. KINGFISHER. 



Bill straight, longer than the head, four-sided, compressed, 

 and tapering to a point ; feet very small ; tibia bare at its 

 lower part ; tarsus extremely short, roundish, with indistinct 

 scales ; toes feeble, the second little longer than the first, the 



