OF VIRGINIA 151 
FAMILY ALCEDINID/E.—KINGFISHERS. 
GENUS CERYLE. 
[390]. Ceryle aleyon (Linnewus). Belted Kingfisher. 
[ Kingfisher]. 
Raner.—North America and northern South America. 
Breeds from northwestern Alaska, northwestern Mac- 
kenzie, central Keewatin, northern Quebec, and New- 
foundland south to the southern border of the United 
States; winters from British Columbia, Nebraska, 
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and southeastern Virginia south 
to the West Indies, Colombia, and Guiana, and irregularly 
as far north as Massachusetts, New Hampshire and 
Ontario. 
Along all our rivers, ponds and streams we find this 
bird, a few remaining throughout the winter, and numbers 
migrating. These migratory birds arrive the last week in 
March and they at once set to work to dig out with their 
sharp beaks, pushing the dirt out behind them with their 
feet, their burrow or hole in the bank selected. They 
often clean out and extend a foot or more the burrow of 
last season, should the bank still happen to have not 
caved away. In these cases where the old burrow is used, 
the laying of eggs commences earlier in the season than 
those digging an entirely new hole, from a week to ten 
days difference. Eggs are not deposited until some time 
after the burrow is completed. Fresh eggs from April 
25th to Mav 10th. The burrow is enlarged at the inner 
end, spherical, and a few small fish seales and bones are 
