BIRDS ALCEDINIDAE. 



157 



Family ALCEDINIDAE. Kingfishers. 



Head large; bill long, strong, straight, and sub-pyramidal, 'usually longer than the head. Tongue very small. Wings 

 short ; legs small ; the outer and middle toes united to their middle. Toes with the usual number of joints, (2, 3, 4, 5.) 



The gape of the bill in the kingfishers is large, reaching to beneath the eyes. The third 

 primary is generally longest ; the first decidedly shorter ; the secondaries vary from twelve to 

 fifteen in number, all nearly equal. The secondaries cover at least three quarters of the wing. 

 The tail is short, the feathers twelve in number ; they are rather narrow ; the outer usually 

 shorter. The lower part of the tibia is bare, leaving the joint and the tarsus uncovered. The 

 tarsus is covered anteriorly with plates ; behind it is shagreen-like or granulated. The hind 

 toe is connected with the inner, so as to form with it and the others a regular sole, which 

 extends unbroken beneath the middle and outer as far as the latter are united. The inner toe 

 is much shorter than the outer. The claws are sharp ; the middle expanded on its inner edge, 

 but not pectinated. 



The North American species of kingfisher belong to the sub-family Cerylinae, characterized 

 by the crested head, and the plumage varying with sex and age. The single genus Ceryle 

 includes two types, Megaceryle and Chloroeeryle. 



CERYLE, Boie. 



Ceryle, BoiB, Isis, 1828, 316, type C. rudis 7 

 Ispida, Sw, Birds, II, 1837, 336, (type C. alcyon.) 



Sp. Ch. — Bill long, straight, and strong, the culmen slightly advancing on the forehead 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 

 'ather long and broad. Tarsi short and stout. 



This genus is distinguished from the typical Alcedo (confined to the Old World) by the longer 

 tail, an indented groove on each side the culmen, inner toe much longer than the hinder instead 

 of equal, &c. 



The two species o^ North American kingfishers belong to two different genera of modern 

 systematists, the one to Megaceryle, Reich, the other to Chloroeeryle, Kaup. The characters of 

 these sub-genera are as follows : 



Megaceryle, Reichenbach. — Bill very stout and thick. Tarsus about equal to the hind 

 toe ; much shorter than the inner anterior ; scarcely as long as the lower jaw is deep. 

 Plumage without metallic gloss ; the occipital feathers much elongated, linear, and 



distinct 31. alcyon. 



Chloroceryle, Kaup. — Size smaller and shape more slender than in preceding. Bill 

 long, thin. Tarsi longer than hind toe ; almost or quite as long as the inner anterior. 

 Plumage with a green metallic gloss above ; the occiput with a crest of rather short, 

 indistinct feathers, C. americana. 



