HALCYONIDJE, 389 



bluish purple ; the base of the secondaries and 

 greater coverts are pale verditer blue, as also the 

 axillary feathers, dividing the wing on the inside 

 diagonally across from the dark colour of the 

 quills, which, in different lights, have a shade of 

 rich blue or deep auricular purple ; the tail has 

 the exterior feathers slightly lengthened, the 

 commencing modification of the form so much 

 developed in some of the foreign species ; it is 

 deep purple-blue at the base, for half the length, 

 paler on the outer webs of the quills; the other 

 half pale verditer blue ; the outer feather tipped 

 with black ; the two centre feathers are entirely 

 of a deep grayish green, tinted with blue at the 

 base. 



In the second family, the Halcyonidce, we 

 possess also only one form, seen in the Common 

 Kingfisher ; showing an aquatic type feeding 

 almost exclusively on fish. 



ALCF.DO, Linn. Generic characters. Bill 

 very straight, sharp, somewhat compressed, 

 gape ample; wings rather rounded, third 

 quill longest, the first and second very gently 

 graduating ; tail very short, scarcely longer 



