A L C E D O I S P I D A. 
COMMON KING^FISHER, 
Generic Character. 
Bill long, ftraight, thick at the bafe, fliarp pointed. 
Tongue entire, broad, pointed, very fhort. 
Legs very fliort. 
Toes three forward, one backward, the three lower 
joints conneded by a ftrong membrane, middle toe 
ferrated on the under fide. 
Synonyms. 
Alcedo Ispida. Lin. Sy/i. i./>. 179. ed, 3. 
King-Fisher. Br, ZooL 1. p. 88. tab. 33. Laih, Syn. 
2, p, 6260 Bezvick's Britijh Birds ^ P/. 2. 
/>. 33. Mont. Orn. Di5f. 
II — i iiii il liil T lillWU ll ii wii I 
T 
X H E King-Fisher is one of the moft beautiful of our 
native birds, is in length about feven inches, breadth near 
eleven ; owing to the difproportion of the head, v^hich v^ith 
the bill is nearly half of the whole length, the bird appears 
very clumfy : bill one inch and a quarter long, the bafe com- 
mencing immediately under the irides ; legs very Ihort, the 
three front toes conneded from the bafe to the laft joint by a 
very ftrong membrane, having the appearance of growing 
together ; the hinder one is placed in a ftraight line with the 
infide front one, by which the heel appears deformed (this 
unufual form of the foot fhews the wonderful refources of 
creative 
