26 ALCEDINlD^l. 



Order IV. COCCYGES. 



Fam. XXIV. ALCEDINID^, OR KINGFISHERS. 



The Kingfishers, which form the subject of an excellent illustrated 

 Monograph by Mr. Sharpe *, are but feebly represented in the New 

 World. Out of the many varied generic forms which make up the 

 family, only a single genus, with about eight species, is met with in the 

 whole of the American Continent. This genus (Ceryle} is of wide 

 diffusion, having also representatives in Africa and Asia. There is 

 thus a great contrast with the Old World, where at least 120 species of 

 Kingfishers are met with. 



261. CERYLE TORQUATA (Linn.). 

 (RINGED KINGFISHER.) 



Ceryle torquata, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 103 ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 26 

 (Entrerios); Sharpe, Mon. Ale. pi. xxii. p. 73 j Wellington, Ibis, 1888, 

 p. 468 (Lomas de Zamora). Megaceryle torquata, Burm. La-Plata Reise, 

 ii. p. 446 (Parana). 



Description. Above bluish grey, with narrow black shaft-stripes and some 

 small round spots of white ; wings black, with a large portion of the inner webs 

 towards the base white, coverts like the back ; tail black, crossed by white bars, 

 central rectrices edged with bluish grey : beneath chestnut-red ; throat, centre 

 of belly, and crissum white : whole length 15-0 inches, wings 7*7, tail 5-5. 

 Female similar, but with a broad bluish-grey pectoral band. 



Hab. Central and South America. 



This beautiful bird, the largest of the American Kingfishers, is found 

 throughout the greater portion of South and Central America. In the 

 Argentine Republic it is somewhat rare, though widely distributed, and 

 ranging as far south as Buenos Ayres. Dr. Doring mentions Ceryle 

 torquata amongst the species collected by him on the Rio Negro, in 

 Patagonia ; but it is possible that the closely allied C. stellata is meant, 

 as this form represents the larger and more brightly -coloured bird in the 

 Magellanic district. 



Notwithstanding its wide distribution and great beauty, little has 

 been recorded of the habits of this species. In Amazonia, Bartlett 

 says : " It breeds in company with Ceryle amazona. The nest, how- 

 ever, is placed very much deeper in the bank than in the case of the last- 

 named bird, the hole being from 4 to 6 feet in depth, with a chamber at 

 the end sufficiently large for the young birds when nearly full-grown." 



* A Monograph of the Alcedinidse, or Family of Kingfishers. By R. B. Sharpe. 

 London, 1868-71. 



