62 ALCEDINID.E : KINGFISHERS. 



Family ALCEDINID^: Kingfishers. 



BELTED KINGFISHER. 



Ceryle alcyon {L.) Bote. 



Chars. Head with a long, thin, pointed crest ; plumage compact and 

 oily ; feet extremely small, with syndactyle toes ; tibiae naked 

 below. Male : upper parts, a broad bar across the breast, and 

 sides under the wings, dull blue with black shaft lines ; two spots 

 around eye, and under parts, except breast and sides, white. 

 Female : with a band of chestnut across the lower breast, ex- 

 tending along the sides. In both sexes the quills and tail-feath- 

 ers black, marked with white on the inner webs ; outer webs of 

 secondaries and tail-feathers like the back ; wing-coverts usually 

 spotted with white ; bill black, pale at base below. Length, 

 12.00-13.00; extent, 22.00; wing, about 6.00; tail, 3.50; bill, 

 about 2.00. 



The "King's fisher," who takes his tribute from the 

 streams, be they never so well guarded from ordinary- 

 poachers, is a common bird of New England, and resi- 

 dent, or only forced southward by the freezing of the 

 waters upon which his resources depend. But the bird 

 partakes the character of a migrant and summer visitor, 

 as many pairs enter the country in March from the south, 

 and remain until the following November. Being strong 

 of wing, it may be observed at times flying high over 

 terra finna and far away from the liquid element ; but 

 its permanent abode is seldom at any distance from its 

 feeding grounds. The mill-pond where the running 

 stream has been dammed to stillness — the running 

 stream that cuts its way through gravelly banks, are 



