118 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



ern Laborador, and in the west from eastern Texas and Arkansas 

 to western Assiniboia, but more commonly northward, increas- 

 ing in proportion as the Yellow-billed decreases. In winter, 

 south to the West Indies and northern South America. 



In Missouri this species is much less common as a summer 

 resident than its cousin, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but has been 

 found breeding in small numbers throughout the state except 

 in the low southeast. In the Ozarks it is reported as a breeder 

 as far south as Heburn, Cleburne Co., Ark., by Mr. B. T. Gault 

 in 1888, and at Eureka Springs by Mr. Philo W. Smith, Jr., in 

 1906. Both species frequent the same localities and instances 

 of the eggs of one species found in the nest of the other are not 

 very rare, for like the Yellow-billed, it is sometimes compelled 

 to deposit its eggs in other birds' nests, and such eggs have been 

 found in the nests of the Catbird, Wood Pewee and Yellow- 

 Warbler. It comes to us in spring about the same time as the 

 other species, but is apt to loiter a few days longer in the fall, 

 sometimes to the middle of October (October 15, 1899, Keo- 

 kuk; October 16, 1885, St. Louis). 



Suborder Alcyones. Kingfishers. 

 Family Alcedinidae. Kingfishers. 

 *390. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). Belted Kingfisher. 



Alcedo alcyon. 



Geog. Dist. — From Panama and the West Indies to the Arctic 

 Ocean. Breeds from southern border of United States north- 

 ward and winters from the southern United States southward. 



The distribution of the Kingfisher as a summer resident in 

 Missouri is as universal as it possibly can be, and the species 

 ma}^ even be called common, because its large size, loud rattle 

 and general habits make it so easily observed and recognized 

 that nobody who has an eye for birds can overlook it. But, if 

 a census of all birds were taken, we would find that the King- 

 fisher is not more numerous than some retiring species ordinarily 

 styled rare. Fortunately the circumstance that it raises a 

 pretty large family prevents a more rapid decline of its numbers, 

 which otherwise would be the inevitable consequence of the 

 treatment it receives from everyone who carries a gun. In the 

 eyes of the fisherman and hunter, anything that catches a fish, 

 be it ever so small and worthless, is guilty of a crime that calls 



