KINGFISHERS. 



69 



mornino- and evening, Ixit occasionally also during the day. It never seems to 

 descend to the ground, and it feeds on fruit." 



The Kingfishers. 



Family Alcedinid^E. 



It is scarcely possible to name a countr}^ in the world where kingfishers of 

 some sort or another are not found. Although they vary greatly in form and 



THE KINCKISHKi: ( ;: Iiat. suo). 



habits, as a rule they have a long and somewhat pointed bill ; but the shape of this 

 organ varies considerably in form, according as the l)ird is a fisli-eatchcr or a 

 devourer of reptiles and otlici- food than tish. The structm-c of the foot, however, 

 scarcely changes throughout tiie gi-oup, for every kingtislu'r is tlat-soled and lias 

 an anisodact\'le foot, with the toes for the most part united together, so that the 

 foot of these birds is by no means indike that of a hoinl)ill. to which group some 

 of the larger kingtishei-s make an approaeli in general appearanci\ Unlike so 

 many of the Picarian birds, most kingfishers have twelve tail-feathers instead of 

 ten, though a few possess the ordinary Picarian number. As in the hornbills and 



