ALCEDmiD^E — THE KINGFISHERS. 39I 



Family ALCEDINID^. — The Kingfishers. 



Char. 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 subfamily 

 Ccrylinm, characterized by the crested head, and the plumage varying with 

 sex and age. The single genus Ccryle includes two types, Streptocerylc and 

 ChloToceryle. 



Genus CERYLE, Boie. 



Ceryle, BoiE, Isis, 1828, 316, cli. (Type, Alcedo rudis of Africa.) 

 Ispida, Sw. Birds, II, 1837, 336. (Type, A. alcyon, in part.) 



Gen. Char. Bill long, straight, and strong, the culmen slightly advancing on the fore- 

 head 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 rather 

 long and broad. Tarsi short and stout. 



This genus is distinguished from typical Alcedo (confined to the Old 

 World) by tlie longer tail, an indented groove on each side the culmen, 

 inner toe much longer tlian the hinder instead of equal, etc. 



The two species of North American Kingfishers belong to two different 

 subgenera of modern systematists, the one to Strcj)toceryle, Bonap., the other 

 to Chloroceryle, Kaup. The characters of these subgenera are as follows : — 



Streptoceryle, Bonap. (1854). Bill very stout and thick. Tarsus about 

 equal to the hind toe ; much shorter than the inner anterior. Plumage 

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

 distinct. Type, C. alcyon. 

 Chloroceryle, Kaup (1849). Size smaller and shape more slender than in 



