Order II. PASSERES, 



Tribe II. Fissirostres diurn^e. 



Family V. ALCEDiNiDiE. 



The third Subfamily, 



ALCEDININiE, or Kingfishers, 



have the Bill more or less long, straight, and slender, with the culmen sloping to the tip, which is acute ; 

 the sides much compressed ; and the gonys long and ascending. 



Alcedo Linn* 



Bill more or less long, slender, and straight, with the culmen sloping to the tip, which is acute ; the 

 sides compressed ; the lateral margins straight ; the gonys lengthened, and slightly sloping upwards ; the 

 nostrils basal, with the opening oblique and covered by a membranous plumed scale. Wings short, with 

 the first quill nearly as long as the second and third, which are equal and longest. Tail short, broad, 

 and rounded. Tarsi very short, and robust. Toes unequal ; the outer toe nearly as long as the middle 

 one, and united nearly to the tip ; the inner toe short, and united at the base ; the hind toe rather 

 short, and broad ; the claws short, compressed, and curved. 



The species of this genus are found in most parts of the Old World. They frequent the fresh-water rivers, and are 

 usually observed solitary, perched on an overhanging branch, or flying near the surface while hunting for their prey, 

 which consists entirely of fish. They are sometimes noticed fluttering over a spot, and then suddenly precipitating 

 themselves upon a fish when rising to the surface. If the fish is too large to he swallowed whole, they beat it into pieces, 

 and swallow each piece separately. The nest is placed at the end of a long gallery formed in the sandy banks to the 

 depth of two or three feet, which they excavate with their bill and feet. The female usually lays from six to seven 

 eggs, which are placed on ejected pellets of fish bones. 



1. A. ispida Linn. PI. enl. 77 Gracula Atthis Gmel. 



2. ? A. bengalensis Gmel. Edwards's Birds, pi. 11. — Alcedo his- 

 pidioides Less. Kittl. Kupf. Vog. t. 29. f. 2. 



3. A. euryxona Temm. PI. col. (descr.). 



4. A. meninting Horsf. Linn. Trans xiii. p. 172., PI. col. 239. 

 f. 2. — Alcedo asiatica Swains. Zool. Illustr. pi. 50. 



5. A. biru Horsf. Linn. Trans, xiii. p. 172., Zool. Res. in Java 

 pi., PL col. 239. f- 1. 



6. A. semitorquata Swains. Zool. Illustr. pi. 151. 



7.? A. ccerulea Gmel. Briss. Orn. iv. t. 37. f. 2. A., Shaw, Nat. 

 Misc. pi. 269- 



8. A. cceruleocephala Gmel. PI. enl. 356. f. 1. 



9. A. cyanostigma Riipp. Faun. Abyss, t. 24. f. 2. 



10. A. cristata Linn. Briss. Orn. iv. t. 37. f. 3., PI. enl. 756. f. 

 1., Kittl. Kupf. Vog. t. 29- f- 3. 



11. A. vintsiotdes Eyd. et Gerv. Mag. de Zool. 1836., Ois. t. 74. 



12. A. erithaca Linn. Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 317. 



13. A. madagascariensis Linn. PI. enl. 778. f. 1. 



14. ?A. ccerulescens Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xix. p. 401. 



15. ?A. orientalis Gmel. Briss. Orn. iv. t. 37. f. 1. A. 



16. ? A.flavicans Gmel. 



17. ? A. cyanoleuca Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xix. p. 401. 



18. ? A. variegata Vieill. Ency. Me'th. p. 397. 



19. ? A. tricolor Vieill. Ency. Me'th. p. 398. 



Originally established by Linnfeus under the name of Ispida in 1735, but changed by him in 1756 to the above name. 



