288 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



BELTED KINGFISHER. 



A. O. U. Xo. 390. (Ceryle alcyon) 



RANGE. 



Found commonly throughout North America, from the Arctic Ocean 

 to Central America. Breeds from the southern parts of the United 

 States, northwards. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length about 12 in.; extent, 22 in.; tail 4 in. Bill and feet, blackish. 

 Eye, dark brown. Top of head, upper parts and band across the fore 

 part of the breast a bluish slate color. Spot in front of, and crescent 

 below the eye are white. A broad band around the upper part of the 

 neck, including the chin is white, as are also the remainder of the under 

 parts except the band of slate already mentioned- Primaries black, 

 the outer ones being irregularly barred or mottled with white. vSec- 

 ondaries black, barred with white and with the outer webs for the 

 greater part blue gray, these edges completely concealing the black when 

 the wings are folded. Middle tail feathers gray; the next with the 

 inner web black barred with white, these latter colors gradually replac- 

 ing the gray until the outer feathers are entirely black and white. The 

 female is similar to the male except that below the gray band across 

 the chest is another one of chestnut which color extends along the sides 

 also. The young of both sexes resemble the female. 

 NEST AND EGGS. 



The Kingfisher builds its nest at the end of a tunnel in a bank. This 

 tunnel varies in length from two to eight feet; the eggs are laid on the 

 bare sand at the end of the burrow. The tunnel is dug by the bird and 

 is used year after year. They lay from six to eight glossy white eggs. 



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HABITS. 



A harsh, disnaal rattling cry comes to our ears from some point up 

 the lake. We listen and again it is repeated. We have orriinous 

 thoughts of riots, the oflficer's rattle and the death cry of some animal 

 or human being, which are dispelled as an odd but handsome bird 

 perches on a branch overhanging the water and utters the same peculiar 



