228 



INSESSOItES. 



FISSIROSTRES. 



HALCYONID^E. 



HALCYON1DJS. 





THE KINGFISHER, 

 Alcedo ispida. 



Alcedo ispida, Common King/fisher, 



The 



Common 



The 



PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 326. 

 MONTAGU, Ornith. Diet. 

 BEWICK, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 129. 

 FLEM. Brit. An. p. 89. 

 SELBY, Brit. Ornith. vol. i. p. 136. 

 JENYNS, Brit. Yert. p. 157. 

 GOULD, Birds of Europe. 



Martin Pecheur A Icyon, TEMM. Man. d'Ornith. vol. i. p. 423. 



ALCEDO. Generic Characters. Beak long, straight, quadrangular, and 

 acute. Nostrils placed at the base of the beak, oblique, and nearly closed 

 by a naked membrane. Feet small, tarsi short, naked; toes three in front; 

 the external toe united to the middle toe as far as the second articulation, 

 and the middle toe united to the inner one as far as the first ; hind toe 

 strong, but short. Wings short ; the second or third quill-feather the 

 longest. 



