162 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
feeding principally on insects and fruits, procures fresh-water shell-fish 
and aquatic larvae for its sustenance. It is, therefore, more frequently 
seen on the ground, near the edges of the water, or descending along 
the drooping branches of trees to their extremities, to seize the insects 
in the water beneath them.” In the adult plumage the Yellow-billed and 
the Black-billed Cuckoos, when flying, can be distinguished, if you bear in 
mind that in the former the long tail feathers, with large white tips, are 
very conspicuous ; on the other hand, the white tips on the tail feathers 
of the Black-billed are not well marked. This bird, as well as the Yel- 
low-billed Cuckoo, I have observed, subsists largely on the tent cater- 
pillars, which are so numerous at times on our various fruit and shade 
trees. It also feeds on beetles, grasshoppers, snails and earth-worms. 
Suborder ALCYONES. Kingfishers. 
Family ALCEDINID.®. Kingfishees. 
Genus CERYLE Boie. 
Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). 
Belted King'fisher. 
Pescription {Plate 20'). 
Length about 13 inches ; extent of wings about 22 inches. 
Bill long, straight and sharp ; legs small ; outer and middle toes united to their 
middle ; head has long crest ; plumage of upper parts, dull leaden blue, more or less 
streaked with black ; feathers of sides, wings, and broad band across breast, dull blue 
like back ; sjjot in front of eye, white ; tail with transverse bands and white spots. 
Female similar but barred across belly, and feathers on sides reddish-brown. 
Habitat . — North America, south to Panama and the West Indies. 
Kingfishers are common along our rivers, streams and ponds, about 
which they are found at all seasons, unless forced to migrate southward 
by excessively cold weather. The loud and harsh cry of this bird, as 
Wilson has properly stated, is not unlike the noise made by twirling a 
watchman’s rattle. “It is uttered while moving from place to place, 
always on being disturbed, and even sometimes when he is about to 
plunge into the water for a fish. But especially it is heard at night 
when the male bird is returning to the nest with food for his mate and 
young.” — Gentry. Their eggs are deposited in holes which they exca- 
vate in the sides of banks, usually about the streams and ponds they 
frequent. On many occasions, I have discovered their nests in high em- 
bankments along i^ublic roads, railroad cuts and old quarries. The ex- 
cavations A' ary greatly in depth, but average about four or five feet ; oc- 
casionally you find one straight, commonly, however, they are directed 
to the right or left of the main opening and terminate in quite a large 
cavity. The eggs (1.30 by l.OG inches) are white and usually six in num- 
