THE BIKDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 281 



Megaccryle domingensis Reichenbach, Handb. Spec. Ornith., Alcedineae, 

 1851, p. 26 (not M. domingensis idem p. 25= J/, stellata). 



Alcedo alcyon, Bryant, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 11, May, 1867, p. 

 95 (Dominican Republic, Haiti). 



Ceryle alcyon, Salle, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1S57, p. 233 (listed). — Cory, 

 Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, 1881, p. 154 (winter) ; Birds Haiti and San Do- 

 mingo, July, 18S4, pp. 103-104 (winter, specimens) ; Cat. "West Indian Birds, 

 1892, p. 103 (Haiti, Dominican Republic).— Tristram, Ibis, 1884, p. 168 

 (Dominican Republic, specimen). — Tippenhauer, Die Insel Haiti, 1S92, p. 322 

 (listed). — Cherrie, Field Columbian Mus., Ornith. ser., vol. 1, 1896, p. 20 

 (near coast). — Christy, Ibis, 1897, p. 332 (Samana Bay, specimen). — Verrill, 

 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1909, p. 359 (recorded). 



Megaccryle alcyon, Ekman, Ark. for Bot., vol. 22 A, No. 16, 1929, p. 7 

 (Navassa). 



Megaccryle a. alcyon, Beebe, Zool. Soc. Bull., vol. 30, 1927, p. 140; Beneath 

 Tropic Seas, 1928, p. 222 (Etang Miragoane). 



Streptoceryle alcyon alcyon, Peters, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 61, 1917, p. 412 

 (north coast). — Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 1928, p. 504 

 (Haiti).— Moltoni, Att. Soc. Ital. Scienz. Nat., vol. 68, 1929, p. 318 (Haina, 

 specimen). 



Winter visitant along coast and on the rivers and lakes of the 

 coastal plain. 



The belted kingfisher arrives as a migrant from North America 

 in fall and remains until spring, frequenting mangrove swamps 

 and the banks of streams, lagoons and lakes in the lowlands, where 

 with its crested head it is an attractive feature of the landscape. 

 Natives assert that it breeds, a statement that has been accepted by 

 Verrill, but there is no basis for this assertion so far as can be 

 ascertained. 



In the Dominican Republic Cherrie recorded the kingfisher fre- 

 quently along water courses near the coast. Christy found it on 

 the Yuna, and among the mangroves at the head of Samana Bay. 

 He collected one March 7, and says that he saw it in June, the 

 latter a statement to be taken with some reserve. Verrill reported 

 the kingfisher as common, and Peters in 1916 says that it w<as fairly 

 common along the north coast. Beck collected specimens at Santo 

 Domingo City October 20, Sanchez November 6, 191G, and Tubano 

 February 12 and 13, 1917. Abbott found it common in winter, and 

 collected a female February 14, 1919, at Sanchez. He saw two or 

 three at Catalinita Island from September 10 to 12, 1919, an early 

 date of fall arrival. Hartert informs us that there are two in the 

 Tring Museum collected by Kaempfer on the Rio Yuna October 22, 

 1922. The collector has marked on the label " breeds here " but of 

 this again there is no proof. Abbott says definitely that the king- 

 fisher is absent in summer, and Wetmore was afield on Samana Bay 

 on many occasions in the first part of May, 1927, in localities fa- 

 vorable to tills bird without seeing one. 



