300 



ZOOLOGY 



habit of laying their eggs in the nests of other birds, espe- 

 cially insectivorous birds, where they are brooded and the 

 young are fed by the foster-mother. Our native cuckoo, 

 however, broods its own eggs, and is a useful insectivo- 

 rous bird. The kingfishers are also placed in this group. 



. ' '' '"-'C:;/ 3 ^'-- 

 Fio. 285. Belted kingfisher ((Jenjle alcyon}. 



They are especially an Old World family, but one genus, 

 Ceryle, has found its way into North America and even 

 into South America. These birds feed chiefly on fish, and 

 they have gained a compact oily plumage to prevent them 

 from getting wet when they plunge for their prey. Our 

 species is known as the belted kingfisher (Fig. 285^). 



