158 
U. S P. E. E. EXP. AND SUEVEYS — ZOOLOGY GENEEAL EEPOET. 
CERYLE ALCYON, Boie. 
Belted Kingfisher. 
Mcedo alcyon, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. I, 17G6, 180.— Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 59.— Audubon, Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 
394 ; pi. 77— Ib. Birds America. 
Ceryle alcyon, Boie, Isis, 1828, 31G.— Cassin, Illust. I, 1855, 254.— Brewer, N Am. Oology, I, 1857, 110 ; pi. iv, 
fig- 52. (Egg.) 
Megaceryle alcyon, Reichenb. Handb. Sp. Orn. I, n, 1851, 25 ; pi. 412, fig. 3108- '9. 
Ispida ludoviciana, Gmelin, Syst. Nat I, 1788, 452. 
"Mcedo jaguacate, Dumont, Diet. Sc. Nat. I, 1816, 455," (Cassin.) 
"Mcedo guacu, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XIX, 1818, 406," (Cassin.) 
Sp. Ch. — Head with a long crest. Above blue, without metallic lustre. Beneath, with a concealed band across the occiput, 
and a spot anterior to the eye, pure white. A band across the breast, and the sides of the body under the wings, like the back. 
Primaries white on the basal half, the terminal unspotted. Tail with transverse bands and spots of white. 
Young with the sides of body and a transverse band across the belly below the pectoral one, light chestnut ; the pectoral 
band more or less tinged with the same. Length of adult about 12| inches ; wing, 6 or more. 
Hob. — The entire continent of North America. 
The above diagnosis will serve to identify the present species sufficiently for all practical 
purposes. The length of the bill and the other dimensions vary quite considerably, and, as a 
general rule, specimens from the Pacific coast are appreciably larger than eastern ones, though I 
have been unable to detect any difference of coloration. Mr. Bell, of New York, says that the 
difference in size between living birds of New York and California is very striking. The 
comparative table of measurements will serve to illustrate these differences. 
List of specimens. 
Catai. 
No. 
Sex and 
age. 
Locality. 
Wlien col- 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig'l 
No. 
Collected by — 
Length. 
Stretch 
ofwings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
6929 
6936 
617 
1640 
1641 
6520 
5234 
4657 
5867 
5625 
5626 
5627 
5043 
5044 
3960 
9932 
4465 
6192 
6193 
Nelson river, H. B.T .. 
O 
o 
o 
Carlisle, Pa 
April 17,1842 
July 18, 1844 
S. F. Baird 
12.75 
13.25 
12.25 
22.00 
22.00 
20.75 
6.17 
5.92 
Yellowstone river, N.T. 
July 25, 1856 
Lieut. G. K. Warren 
3 
Q 
3 
Bryan's fork, 115 miles 
west of Fort Riley, K.T. 
108 miles west of Fort 
Riley, K. T 
July 3,1856 
July 2, 1856 
June 16, 1856 
Dr. Hammond & J. 
Xantus de Vesey. 
Lieut. F. T. Bryan. 
63 
59 
W. S. Wood... 
11.00 
11.00 
11.00 
17 
Ojo del Cuerpo, N. M . . 
Tamaulipas, Mexico ... 
Sept. 30, 1856 
Mar.—, 1853 
Aug. 17, 1841 
14.50 
12.25 
21.50 
19.75 
6.75 
6.00 
Eyes very dark brown; 
bill slate ; feet dove 
color. 
9 
Lieut. Trowbridge . 
Feb. 15, 1854 
Jan. 20, 1854 
' Jan. — , 1855 
16 
Dr. Suckley . .. 
11.50 
19.00 
6.75 
do 
6190 
6191 
6189 
4587 
Lieut. Trowbridge . 
12.00 
