72 ALCEDINID^ CERYLE 



Kingfishers, which are spread over the whole of both hemi- 

 spheres, all lay white, generally glossy and rounded eggs, in a 

 chamber formed at the end of a burrow which is usually placed 

 in a sand bank; no nest lining is formed, but the accumulation 

 of pellets, chiefly fish bones, form a resting place for the eggs and 

 young. 



Two subfamilies are recognised by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, to whom 

 we are indebted for an excellent monograph of the group, but the 

 distinctions between them are not well marked. 



Key of the Genera. 



A . Tail longer than the culmen. 



a. Bill long and slender about five times as long 



as broad at the nostrils ; plumage black 



and white Ceryle, p. 72. 



b. Bill shorter, about three times as long as 



broad at the nostrils ; plumage varied 



generally with blue Halcyon, p. 85. 



B. Tail shorter than the culmen. 



a. Bill long and slender, culmen ridged. 



a 1 . With only a short crest on the nape Alcedo, p. 78. 



6 1 . With a long crest, the feathers of the crown 



extending beyond the occiput Corythornis, p. 81. 



b. Bill shorter, culmen rounded ; no crest Ispidina, p. 83. 



Genus I. CERYLE. 



Type. 



Ceryle, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 310 C. rudis. 



Bill long, strong and compressed, culmen rounded, marked off 

 on either side from the rest of the bill by a groove ; wings some- 

 what pointed, the first primary but little shorter than the second, 

 third and fourth, which are the longest ; tail longer than the bill ; 

 plumage somewhat sombre, prevailing colours black and white, 

 no bright blue ; sexes differing from one another. 



This genus is spread over the whole of Africa, western Asia 

 and the Indian region as far as China and Japan ; it also inhabits 

 the whole of America; about ten species are recognised, three of 

 these are African, and two come within our limits. 



Key of the Species. 



a. Smaller, wing under 6'0 ; plumage black and 



white C. rudis, p. 73. 



b. Larger, wing over 7'0 ; part of the lower surface 



rufous C. maxima, p. 76. 



