66 Allen's naturalist's library 



Young Female. — Resembles the younc^ male, but has always 

 rufous axillarics, and the flanks are rufous like the lower breast- 

 band. The band on the fore-neck has also a good deal of 

 rufous. 



Range in the British Islands. — An accidental visitor from North 

 America, of which two examples have been recorded from 

 Ireland, one said to have been obtained in Co. Meath in 

 October, 1 845, and another in Co. Wicklow in November of 

 the same year. " No other instances," writes Mr. Howard 

 Saunders, "of the occurrence of this species in Europe is 

 known, nor has it been obtained in Greenland or Iceland," and 

 he deems it inexpedient to admit to the British List "an 

 American bird which — assuming the accuracy of the records — 

 had probably escaped from confinement." 



Range outside the British Islands. — The greater part of North 

 America from Alaska southwards, migrating south in winter to 

 Central America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. 



Habits. — All accounts of the life-history of the Belted King- 

 fisher show^ that the bird has very similar habits to our own 

 Alcedo ispida^ nor is its food entirely confined to fish, as it 

 will also eat insects, and even, on occasion, small Mammalia. 

 Like the Pied Kingfisher of Egypt, it also hovers in the air like 

 a Kestrel, as our own Kingfisher sometmies does. The nesting- 

 chamber is excavated by both parents, and the tunnel leading 

 to it is hollow^ed out by the birds themselves, sometimes to a 

 depth of fifteen feet. 



Nest. — None. 



Eggs. — Six in number, more rarely seven; pure white, glossy. 

 Axis, I '3-1 '4 inch ; diain., 1-05. 



THE BLUE KINGFISHERS. GENUS ALCEDO. 



Alcedo^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 178 (1766). 



Type, Alcedo ispida (L.). 



The Kingfishers of this genus are easily recognisable by their 

 short tails and short crests. In the genus Ceryle the tail is 



