423. 
424. 
470 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARILZA — CUCULIFORMES. 
Large species, dull blueabove 5 ww 1 we ew ee et ee ee alcyon 423 
Small species, glossy green above 6 ww ee ee ee ee we cabanisi 424 
C. al/cyon. (Lat. alcyon, a kingfisher. Fig. 321.) 
Bettep KinGrisHEer. Upper parts, broad pectoral 
bar, and sides under the wings, dull blue with fine 
black shaft lines. Lower eyelid, spot before eye, a 
cervical collar and under parts except as said, pure 
white; the 9 with a chestnut belly-band and the sides 
of the same color. Quills and tail-feathers black, spec- 
kled, blotched or barred on the inner webs with white ; 
outer webs of the secondaries and tail-feathers like the 
back; wing-coverts frequently sprinkled with white. 
Bill black, pale at base below. Feet dark; tibie 
naked below. A long, thin, pointed occipital crest ; 
plumage compact and oily to resist water, into which 
the birds constantly plunge after their finny prey. 
Length 12.00-13.00; extent 21.00-23.00; wing 6.00- 
6.50; tail 3.50-5.00; whole foot 1.33; culmen 1.75- 
9.25. N. Am., common everywhere, resident or only 
forced southward by freezing of the waters. This fine 
bird, whose loud rattling notes are as familiar sounds 
along our streams as the noise of the mill-dam or the 
machinery, burrows to the depth of six or eight feet in the ground, and lays as many crystal 
white spheroidal eggs, 1.25 X 1.05, at the enlarged extremity of the tunnel. 
C. america/na caba/nisi. (To Dr. Jean Cabanis, of Germany.) Texan Green Kinc- 
FisHer. Adult ¢: Entire upper parts glossy-green, with bronze lustre, the bases of nearly 
all the feathers snowy-white, which appears sometimes upon the surface ; crown, scapulars and 
wing-coverts superficially sprinkled with white. Wing-quills dusky on inner webs, green on 
the outer, both marked in regular double series with pairs of white spots, scallops or bars. 
Central tail-feathers dark green, usually touched with white along the edges, the others green 
with white bars becoming confluent at the bases of the feathers, where forming white spaces 
more extensive than the green portion. Cervical cvllar and entire under parts white, the breast, 
belly, sides and crissuin spotted with glossy-green. Bill black, usually light at base below ; 
feet dark. A supposed 9 differs in having the green-spotted plumage of the under parts and 
adjoining white area tinged with chestnut. Length about 8.00; wing 3.25-3.50; tail 2.50; 
bill 1.67; whole foot 1.00. Valleys of the Lower Rio Grande and Colorado, and southward; 
common. Nesting and eggs as in C. aleyon; eggs 4-6, very thin and smooth, like porcelain, 
rounded oval, 0.90-1.00 x 0.68-0.75. : 
Fig. 321. — Belted Kingfisher, reduced. 
(From Tenney, after Wilson.) 
26. Family CUCULIDZ: Cuckoos. 
Feet zygodactyle by reversion of the fourth toe. This character, in connection with those 
given below, will answer present purposes; and, in my ignorance of some of the exotic forms, I 
cannot attempt to give a full diagnosis. The only other North American birds with the toes 
yoked in the same combination are the Picid@ and the Psittaci, whose numerous specialties will 
prevent any misconception regarding Cuculide. The latter are desmognathousin palatal struct- 
ure, and homalogonatous, having the ambiens and three or all four of the other leg-muscles used 
by Garrod for classificatory purposes ; in these important respects differing from all birds pre- 
viously treated in this work. There are two carotids. The oil-gland is nude, and coca are, 
present. The family is a large and important one. It comprehends quite a nuinber of leading 
