INTRODUCTION. 
liii 
parched plains, — lizards and insects being the food of those aflfecting the former situations, while the huge 
Dacelos (frequenting the latter) eat snakes, small quadrupeds, and insects. Fish appears to be the chief 
food of the members of the restricted genus Alcedo, of which our well-known Kingfisher is the type. 
Genus Alcedo. 
57. Alcedo lsptda , . . . . . . . . . . . . Vol. II. PI. X. 
Kingfisher. 
A resident species ; common In all the central portion of England, more scarce In Scotland, and not a 
common bird in Ireland. Feeds on fish, crustaceans, and insects. It is the only species Avhich habitually 
lives in Britain and on the continent of Europe, beyond which its range is not very far extended. Other 
species of this form inhabit India, some of its islands, and Africa. 
Genus Ceryle. 
A group of Kingfishers, of about a dozen or fifteen species. 
58. Ceryle alcyon. 
This American bird has been twice killed in Ireland — once in the county of Meath in October 1845, and 
again in the county of Wicklow in November of the same year (Thompson, ‘ Natural History of Ireland, 
Birds,’ vol. i. p. 373). These Transatlantic birds must be regarded as interlopers, since they have no just 
claims to a place in our fauna. 
Family CQRACIID^. 
No member of this family has yet been seen in the New World ; and the Old may claim the form as one 
of its finest ornithological productions. There are even fewer species of this family than of the Meropidce ; 
and those few are all warm-country birds. They are abundant in Africa ; one or two species frequent India ; 
others the Islands of the Eastern archipelago. Up to this time no true Roller has been found in Australia, 
where it is represented by the members of the genus Eurystomus. 
Genus Coracias. 
59. Coracias garrula ............ Vol. II. PI. XI. 
Roller. 
Although the Roller is a regular summer visitant to the centre of Germany and other parts of the 
Continent, its occurrences in England have been few and far between; here, therefore, it can only be 
regarded as an accidental visitor. It has nevertheless been occasionally killed in the tliree kingdoms. 
p 
