282 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The kingfisher has long been known from Haiti if we suppose that 

 the one sent by Cher vain to de Reaumur from " S. Domingue " (the 

 specimen described by Brisson) came from the French colony. Cory 

 speaks of the kingfisher as a common winter visitant, especially about 

 the interior lakes, during his first work in Haiti in 1881. Bartsch 

 in 1917 reported it on the Etang Saumatre April 3, near Jeremie 

 April 10 to 12, and 15, and at Trou des Roseaux April 13. Dr. W. L. 

 Abbott found it common from November, 1917, to March, 1918, and 

 recorded a few along the coast of Gonave Island February 18 to 28. 

 He collected one at the Etang Saumatre March 8. Beebe recorded 

 one at Etang Miragoane March 2, 1927, and says that he saw others 

 occasionally elsewhere. Wetmore, in 1927, observed it at Carrefour 

 March 29, and at Mont Rouis March 30, both on the coast. He saw 

 one April 8 along the Riviere Jaquisy, below Furcy, at an elevation of 

 800 meters, and one April 24 on the Riviere Samana near Hinche. 

 The last one that he recorded was found on the coast at Caracol April 

 27. The records for the Riviere Jaquisy and for Hinche probably 

 represent the extent of the inland wandering of the species which 

 follows the larger streams back among the hills. Perrygo reported 

 the kingfisher at Fort Liberte February 8 and 16, 1929. Ekman 

 found the kingfisher on Navassa Island in October, 1928. 



Reichenbach 11 under Megaceryle alcyon refers to Daubenton's 

 Planch. Enl. No. 593, Martin-pecheur hupe, de St. Domingue, imply- 

 ing that mistakes have been made with regard to its scientific name. 

 He says " Gray citirt sie ohne Anstand zu Ceryle Alcyon — mir 

 zweifelhaft bleibt und wohl auf St. Domingo besser beobachtet zu 

 werden und nach Wiederauffindung den Namen M. domingensis zu 

 erhalten verdient." On a previous page, however (p. 25), he gives 

 the name Megaceryle domingensis as referring his plate CCCCX. 

 figure 3105, which is Megaceryle stellata, as he says "Das Vater- 

 land des von mir 3,105 abgebildeten Vogels ist mir nicht bekannt und 

 ich finde ihn so viel von Meyen's Vogel verscheiden, dass ich ihn eher 

 fiir den enl. 593 abgebildeten von St. Domingo halten mochte, iiber den 

 ich weiter unten bei M. Alcyon mich noch weiter aussprechen werde : 

 M. domingensis zu nennen." On page 24 he gives "domingensis: 

 CCCX. * 3,105 " immediately following his name M. stellata 

 (Me}^en) but there says nothing more about it. It appears then that 

 he uses the name domingensis for two distinct species, and that 

 through page priority its application to the belted kingfisher of 

 North America is preoccupied by its allocation to the South Ameri- 

 can Megaceryle stellata. 



The belted kingfisher is of moderate size being 325 mm. or more in 

 length with small feet, heavy bill and strongly crested head. Above 



11 Handb. Spec. Ornith., Alcedineae 1851, p. 26. 



