ALCEDIMD.K — Tin<: KINTrFISmiRS. 



3D3 



Crrylf niryon. 



rririwirit's wliitc on tlie l.asal half. t!ic t.-rtiiinal iiiispotU'd. Tail wifli transverse bands 



unil spots (.i wl.itc. t'thinl*- anil ijotmy with suit's of body iuid a l.aiul aci(»>. ll»f 



bflly bflow tilt' |M'«t(>ral otje 



li^dit clu'stnut; the jM-rtoial l)an<l 



inoH' or l»'.<s tinjr«'d witli ila- 



wuno. lA'ii<.'tli of adult alnMit 



Vl.'^i imln's, win^', «».(M». 



II.Mt. Tluj entire continent ol" 

 North America to ranania. iii- 

 eluiUn^' Wt'st Indies. Lotah- 

 ties: Honduras (Moohk. I*. Z. S. 

 18oy,5;J; S.L. Ibis, II, n(;);Sta. 

 Cruz, winter (Nkwton. Ibis I, 

 07); Behze (Sei,. Ibis, I, l.'II); 

 York Factory. II. H. T. (Mikiiav, 

 Ethnb. Phil. J. Jan 1S0(»); Cuba 

 (Cab. .T. IV, 101 ; (a-NDi,. Rep. 

 1. 18(J(;, 2!)2) ; Hahanias (Huyant, 

 IJost. Soc. VII, IH.")!)); .Jamaica 

 (GossK, IJirds .Jam. 81 ; Orizaba 

 (Sci. P. Z. S. 18()0, 2.">.']) ; Paii- 

 anja (Lawr. N. Y. Lye. ISOl, 

 318 n.); Costa Rica (Cab. .1. 18<;2, 

 102; Lawr. N. Y. Lye. IX. 118); Tolia'jo (Tart>. Ann. Ma^^ 19,80); Texas (Drf.«pfr, 

 ibis, LSO.'>, 471); Arizona (CotES, P. A. N. S. 1800, oD) ; Sta. IBariholeiny (Slxd. OlV. 

 1800, 'i><:>). 



Tliis species varies considerably in size with locality, as (!<» so many 

 others. Western specimens are ai>])reeiahly lai'iivr, esi)ecially those lioin the 

 northwest coast. Accortlin*,^ to Xuttall and Aiidiihon, it is tlie female that 

 has the transverse band of chestnnt across tlie l)elly. In this they may be 

 correct ; but several specimens in the Smithsonian collection marked female 

 (perhaps en-oneonsly) sliow no indication of the chestnut.^ 



Two closely allied but much larger species l^elong to Middle and South 

 America. They differ in having the wliole body beneath of a retldish 

 color. 



Habits. The common Belted Kingfisher of Xorth America is a widely 

 distribute<l species at all times, and in the summer is found in every portion 

 of Xorth America, to the Arctic Ocear on the north, and from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific. It is more or less ivsidcnt throughout the year, and in 

 mild and open winters a few have been known to linger throughout New 

 England, and even in higher latitudes. In 18.57 Captain Blakiston found 

 it remaining on the lower part of the Saskatchewan River until the 7th 

 of October; and afterwards, in 1859, at Pembina, on the 1st of May, he ob- 



^ This confoundinff of tlu^ two sexes has pmhahly resulted from fnioss-work of the collector, 

 who, noticiuf? the marked difiVrenec between the male and fenuile, and naturally supposing the 

 former to be the more brifrhtly colored, marked the rufous-breasted specimens accordingly ; 

 while the few marked correctly may have been thus labelh;d after cartful dissection. 

 VOL. 11. 50 



