352 BELTED KINGSFISHER. 



like those of the Society Isles, nor dreaded, like those of some 

 other countries ; hut is considered merely as a bird that feeds 

 on fish ; is generally fat ; relished by some as good eating ; 

 and is now and then seen exposed for sale in our markets. 



Though the kingsfisher generally remains with us, in 

 Pennsylvania, until the commencement of cold weather, it is 

 seldom seen here in winter ; but returns to us early in April. 

 In North and South Carolina, I observed numbers of these 

 birds in the months of February and March. I also fre- 

 quently noticed them on the shores of the Ohio in February, 

 as high up as the mouth of the Muskingum. 



I suspect this bird to be a native of the Bahama Islands, 

 as well as of our continent. In passing between these isles 

 and the Florida shore, in the month of July, a kingsfi>her 

 flew several times round our ship, and afterwards shot off to 

 the south. 



The length of this species is twelve inches and a half ; 

 extent, twenty ; back and whole upper parts, a light bluish 

 slate colour ; round the neck is a collar of pure white, which 

 reaches before to the chin ; head, large, crested ; the feathers, 

 long and narrow, black in the centre, and generally erect; 

 the shafts of all the feathers, except the white plumage, are 

 black ; belly and vent, white ; sides under the wings, varie- 

 gated with blue; round the upper part of the breast passes 

 a band of blue, interspersed with some light brown feathers ; 

 before the eye is a small spot of white, and another immedi- 

 ately below it ; the bill is three inches long from the point to 

 the slit of the mouth, strong, sharp-pointed, and black, except 

 near the base of the lower mandible, and at the tip, where 

 it is of a horn colour ; primaries and interior webs of the 

 secondaries, black, spotted with white ; the interior vanes of 

 the tail-feathers, elegantly spotted with white on a jet black 

 ground ; lower side, light coloured ; exterior vanes, blue ; 

 wing-coverts and secondaries, marked with small specks of 

 white ; legs, extremely short ; when the bird perches, it 

 generally rests on the lower side of the second joint, which is 



