454 THE BELTED KINGFISfftK 



average in measurement 1.60X.99 inches. A week ut'ten elapses between 

 the laying of the first and the last egg. 



Upon one occasion I noticed a most interesting trait in these birds, 

 which I never <jbserved in any other species. VV^hile standing in an open 

 woodland listening to a pair of Cuckoos calling to each other, I saw the 

 male suddenly fly past with a large green worm in his bill. He tlew directlv 

 to the female, who was perched in a tree a few yards distant, and for a 

 moment or two tlicy sat motionless a few inches apart looking at each other. 

 The male then imvered lightly over his mate and, settling gently u|K)n her 

 shoulders, gracefully bent over and placed the worm in Iht bill. It was a 

 pretty and daintily performed piece of love-making. 



J. H. Bowles. 



No. i«i. 



BELTED KINGFISHER. 



.\. ( ). r. NO. 1,1)0. Ceryle alcyon (Linn. 1. 



Synonym. — Commonly called plain Kingfisher. 



Description. — Adult male: .Xbove. bright bluish gray, feathers with blackish 

 shafts or shaft-lines : loosely crested ; edge of wing white; primaries dusky, white- 

 spotted on outer web, narrowly white-tipped, broadly white on inner web: coverts 

 often delicately tipped or touched with white: tail bhiish gray al)Ove, the central 

 feathers with herring-bone pattern of dusky: remaining feathers only blue-edged, 

 dusky, finely and incompletely barred with white: lower e\elid white, and a white 

 spot in front of eye: throat and sides of neck, nearly meeting behind, pure white: 

 a broad liand of bluish gray across the breast : remaining underparts white, sides 

 under wing, antl flanks, heavily shailed with blue-gray : bill black, pale at base 

 below: feet dark, .\duli female: Similar, but with a chestinu band across lower 

 breast, and with heavy shading of the same color on sides. Immature: Like 

 adults, except that the plumbeous band of breast is heavily mixed with rusty 

 (suggesting chestnut of female^. Length 12.00-14.00 (304.R-355.6) : wing (x2\ 

 (1577 > : tail ?,-^A ^*)7-S'' '• '"" ^''om "<^stril 1.69 (42.9). 



Recognition Marks. — "Kingfisher" size: blue-gray and white coloration; 

 piscatorial habits ; rattling cry. 



Nesting. — Xest: at enrl of tunnel in bank, four to six feet in, nnlined. Egiis, 

 6-8, pure white. .\v. size, 1.31 x 1.04 (33.3x26.4). Season: May; one broo<l. 



General Range. — North .\merica from the .\rctic Ocean south to Panama 

 and the West Indies. Breeds from the southern border of the l'nite<l States 

 northward. 



Range in Washington. — Siunmer resident, chiefly at lower levels; partially 

 resident west of the Cascades, and casually resident on the East-side. 



Authorities.— ^1 Lewis and Clark. Hist. Ex. (1814) Ed. Biddle: Coues. Vol. 

 IL, p. 180.] Cervle alcvon. I'.oie, Baird. Re]). I'ac. R. R. Surv. IX., 1858, p. 158. 

 T. C.tS. L'. D'. Sr. Kb. Ra. D'. Ss'. Ss'. Kk. J. B. E. 



Specimens.— r. of W. V. Prov. B. BN. E. 



