470 



SYSTEMATIC STXOPSIS. — PICAEI^ — CUCl'LIFOEMES. 



Cal-JJiUi i^i 



Lar^re species, dull bine above 



Sniill sp-ecies. i:lcssy green aK"*ve 



423. C. alcyon. (Lat. alcyon. a. kingfisher. Fig. 301.) 

 Belted KisGnSHEK. Upper partj. hn^ad pixnor.il 

 bar. and side? under the vriugs, dull blue with tint- 

 black shaft lines. Lower eyelid. S]X>t before eye. a 

 oerTiciil ooll;vr and under p>an5 except as said, pure 

 white ; the $ with a ohesmut belly-baud and the sides 

 oi the same color. Quills and t;ul-teathers black, spec- 

 kled, blotched or baiTed on the inner webs with white : 

 outer webs of the seconditries and tail-feathers like the 

 back : wins-coTerts frequently sprinkled with white. 

 Bill black. pLtle at base bcLiw. Feet dark ; tibia? 

 naked belo\r. A lens:, thin, pointed ix-cipital crest : 

 plumage compact and oQy to resist water, into which 

 the birds constantly plunge after their finny prey. 

 Length 1:;. 00-13. 00 : extent il.00-:}o.00 : wing ti.OO- 

 6.o0 ; tail 3.50-5.00: whole foot 1.33: culmen 1.75- 

 •2.'2o. N. Am., common everywhere, resident or only 

 f -reed southward by freezing oi the watti-s. This tine 

 bird, whose loud rattlins: notes are as famUiar sounds 

 alonsf our streams as the noise of the miU-dam or the 

 machinery, burrows to the depnh of six or eight feet in the gxound. and lays as many crystal 

 white spheroidiil esss. 1.55 X 1.05. at the enlarged extremity of the tunnel. 



424. C anierica'na caba nisi. (^To Dr. Jeau Cabanis. of Germauy.) Texan Greex Kixg- 

 FlSHEK. Adult ^ : Er.Tive upper parts glossy-greeu. with bronze lustre, the bases of nearly 

 all the feathers snowy-white, which appears sometimes upon the suil'ace ; cro-wn. scapulars and 

 wing-coverts superficially sprinkled with white. Wiug-quiUs dusky on inner webs, sreeu on 

 the outer, both uuirked iu regular double series with pairs of white spots, scallops or bars. 

 Ceun-;il tail-feathers dark green, usually touched with white along the edses, the others srreen 

 with white bai^s becoming confluent at the bases of the feathers, where formine white spaces 

 more extensive than the green portion. Cervical coUarand entire under parts white, the breast, 

 belly, sides and crissum spotted with glossy-green. Bill black. usu;dly Ught at base below ; 

 feet dark. A supposed 9 dififrs iu having the green-spotted plumage of the under pans and 

 adjoinincf white area tinged with chestnut. Length about S.OO : wing 3.i!5— 3.50: tail J. 50 : 

 bill 1.67; whole foot 1.00. Valleys of the Lower Rio Grande and Colorado, and southward; 

 common. Xestine and eggs as iu C. alq/on: eggs J—ii. very thin and smix'th, like porcelain, 

 rounded oval, 0.90-1.00 X O.C)S-0.7o. 



Fig. ,'>:i- — Belto^l Kingfisher. redneeiL 

 (From Teuney. ;if;tr Wilson.) 



26. Family CUCULID^ ; Cuckoos. 



Feet :yaodactule hii rever.'^ion of the foKrth toe. This character, iu connection with those 

 given below, will answer present purposes: and. in my iguorauce of some of the exotic forms. I 

 cauuot attemin to cive a full diagnosis. The only other North American birds with the toes 

 yoked in the same combination are the Picidic and the Pr'ittaci. whose numerous specialties will 

 prevent any misconception regarding Ciiculidtr. The latter are desmoguathous in palatal struct- 

 ure, and homalogouatous. having the ambiens and three or all four of the other leg-muscles used 

 by (Tarrod fir classificatory purposes : in these imjiortaut respects ditiering from all birds pre- 

 viously treated in this work. There are two carotids. The oil-glaud is nude, and cceoa are 

 ]ireseut. The family is a la)-ge and important one. It comprehends quite a number of leading 



