BELTED KINGSFISHER. 349 



last circumstance, and its characteristic appearance, make it 

 as universally known here as its elegant little brother, the 

 common kingsfisher of Europe, is in Britain. Like the love- 

 lorn swains, of whom poets tell us, he delights in murmuring 



the ground, and return again to the same branch or rock ; they also 

 chase their prey in the manner of the Flycatchers. Notwithstanding 

 these are their common food, fish, water insects, in a few instances crabs, 

 are resorted to, and in all cases the vicinity of water seems requisite for 

 their healthy support. There is an individual (Alcedo dea) which has 

 been separated from this under the name of Tanysiptera ; the only dis- 

 tinction now (for it has four toes) is the elongation of two tail-feathers, 

 which exceed the length of the body considerably. It was originally dis- 

 covered in the Isle of Ternate, and, according to Lesson, is abundant in 

 New Guinea, where it is killed by the natives for ornaments ; and those 

 coming to this country, being impaled on reeds, are consequently much 

 mutilated. Another division will comprise the very large New Holland 

 species, under the title of Dacelo ; * this contains yet only two species, 

 commonly known by the name of "laughing jackasses;" by the natives 

 they are called cuck'unda; they are nearly as large as a common pigeon, 

 and have all the members very powerful ; the bill is much dilated, and 

 bent at the tip ; according to Lesson, their chief food is large insects, 

 which they seize on the ground. That ornithologist extends the genus 

 to several of the larger billed small species ; we would now restrict it, as 

 bearing better marks, to those of New Holland only, D. gigantea and 

 Leachii. Another division has been formed among these curious birds, 

 also by M. Lesson, of the Alcedo rufipes of Cuvier, under the name of St/ma, 

 and, as a specific appellation, that of torotora, by which it is known to 

 the Papous, in its native country, New Guinea. It frequents rivers and 

 the sea-shores, and feeds on fish ; the principal distinction for which it 

 has been separated is a serrature of the mandibles of the bill. M. Lesson, 

 however, did not perceive anything different from its congeners to which 

 this structure could be applied. From the above remarks it will be seen 

 that the old genus A Icedo has been separated into no less than nine divi- 

 sions. Four of these will, perhaps, only be necessary, and are as follows : 

 — 1. Alcedo, having the form of Alcedo ispida, feeding principally on 

 fish ; geographical distribution, the known world, except very nor- 

 thern latitudes ; the number of species and individuals increasing from 

 the extremes. 2. Halcyon; the form of Sanctus, cinamomeus, omnicolor, 



* M. Lesson proposes a genus (Todprampus) for all the smaller New Holland 

 species, taking A. sacra as the type, on account, j>rincipally, of the more dilated 

 bill. The same gentleman proposes the title Melidora and Choucalcyon to desig- 

 nate forms among the kingsfishers which I have not ascertained. 



