470 



SYSTEMA TIG SYNOPSIS. — PICAEI^ — CUCULIFORMES. 



Large species, dull blue above alcyon 423 



Small species, glossy green above cahanisi 424 



423. C. al'cyon. (Lat. alcyon, a kingfisher. Fig. 321.) 

 Beltkd Kingfisher. Upper parts, broad pectoral 

 bar, and sides under the wings, dull blue with fine 

 black shaft lines. Lower eyelid, spot before eye, a 

 cervical collar and under parts except as said, pure 

 white ; the 9 '"'ith a chestnut belly-band and the sides 

 of the same color. Quills and tail-feathers black, spec- 

 kled, blotched or ban-ed on the inner webs with white ; 

 outer webs of the secondaries and tail-feathers like the 

 back ; vi-ing-coverts frequently sprinkled with white. 

 Bill black, pale at base beh)W. Feet dark ; tibiae 

 naked below. A long, thin, pointed occipital crest; 

 pluniage compact and oily to resist water, into wliich 

 the birds constantly plunge after their finny prey. 

 Length 12.00-13.00; extent 21.00-23.00; M'ing 6.00- 

 6.50; tail 3.50-5.00; whole foot 1.33; culmen 1.75- 

 2.25. N. Am., common everywhere, resident or only 

 forced southward by freezing of the waters. This fine 

 bird, whose loud rattling notes are as familiar sounds 

 along our streams as the noise of the mill-dam or the 

 machinery, burrows to the depth of six or eight feet in the ground, and lays as many crystal 

 white si)heroidal eggs, 1.25 X 1-05, at the enlarged extremity of the tunnel. 



424. C. ameriea'na caba'nisi. (To Dr. Jean Cabanis, of Germany.) Texan Green King- 

 fisher. Adult $ : Entire upper parts glossy-green, vrith bronze lustre, the bases of nearly 

 all the feathers snowy- white, which appears sometimes upon the surface ; crown, scapulars and 

 wing-coverts superficially sprinkled with white. Wing-qmlls dusky on inner webs, green on 

 the outer, both marked in regular double series with pairs of white spots, scallops .or bars. 

 Central tail-feathers dark green, usually touched with white along the edges, the others green 

 with white bars becoming confluent at the bases of the feathers, where forming white spaces 

 more extensive than the green portion. Cervical collar and entire under parts white, the breast, 

 belly, sides and crissum spotted with glossy-green. BiU black, usually light at base below ; 

 feet dark. A supposed 9 difiers in having the green-spotted plumage of the under parts and 

 adjoining white area tinged with chestnut. Length about 8.00; wing 3.25-3.50; tail 2.50 ; 

 biU 1.67; whole foot 1.00. VaUeys of the Lower Eio Grande and Colorado, and southward; 

 common. Nesting and eggs as in C. alcyon; eggs 4-6, very thin and smooth, like porcelain, 

 rounded oval, 0.90-1.00 X 0.68-0.75. 



Fig. 321. — Belted Kingfisher, 

 (From Tenney, after Wilson.) 



26. Family CUCULID^ : Cuckoos. 



Feet zygodactyle by reversion of the fourth toe. This character, in connection ^vith those 

 given below, will answer present purposes ; and, in my ignorance of some of the exotic forms, I 

 cannot attempt to give a full diagnosis. The only other North American birds with the toes 

 yoked in the same combination are the Picidce and the Psittad, whose numerous specialties will 

 prevent any misconception regarding Cucididce. The latter are desmognathous in palatal struct- 

 ure, and homalogonatous, having the ambiens and three or all four of the other leg-muscles used 

 by Garrod for classifieatory purposes ; in these important respects differing from all birds pre- 

 viously treated in this work. There are two carotids. The oil-gland is nude, and cceca are 

 present. The family is a large and important one. It comprehends quite a number of leading 



