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FAMILY XXV.— ALCEDINiE. KINGFISHERS. 



Bill long, straight, stout, broader than high at the base, much compressed, 

 tapering to a rather acute point, and gap-line commencing beneath the 

 middle of the eyes. Head large, ovato-oblong; neck short; body stout. 

 Tarsus extremely short; anteriorly scaly; anterior toes united for more than 

 half their length, outer longer than inner, hind toe small. Claws stout, com- 

 pressed, arched, very acute. Plumage rather compact. Wings rather long, 

 pointed. Tail various, of twelve feathers. Tongue very short, flesh)*', with 

 the sides parallel, the tip tapering to a bluntish point. Roof of upper man- 

 dible moderately concave, with a median ridge and oblique lateral grooves. 

 (Esophagus very wide, without crop; stomach very large, round, with its 

 muscular coat very thin; the epithelium dense, very thin, with tortuous 

 rugae; intestine very long, extremely slender; no coeca; cloaca very large, 

 globular. Trachea with three pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles. 



Genus I.— ALCEDO, Linn. KINGFISHER. 



Bill long, straight, rather stout, broader than high at the base, but suddenly 

 much compressed, and tapering to an acute point; upper mandible with the 

 dorsal line almost straight, the ridge distinct, but somewhat flattened, the 

 edges nearly straight, without notch, the tip acute; lower mandible with the 

 angle of moderate length and narrow, the dorsal line ascending and nearly 

 straight; gap-line commencing beneath the middle of the eye; nostrils basal, 

 near the ridge, linear, obliquely ascending, half closed by a bare membrane. 

 Head large, oblong; neck short; body robust. Feet very short; tarsus 

 extremely short, roundish, anteriorly faintly scaly; anterior toes cohered for 

 a great part of the length, outer longer than inner, first small. Claws rather 

 short, stout, arched, acute. Plumage rather compact, more blended above. 

 Wings long, pointed, with the second and third quills longest. Tail short, 

 even, of twelve rounded feathers. 



