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FAMILY XXV.— ALCEDINBE. KINGFISHERS. 
Bill long, straight, stout, broader than high at the base, much compressed, 
tapering to a rather acute point, and gap-line commencing beneath the 
middle of the eyes. Head large, ovato-oblong ; neck short ; body stout. 
Tarsus extremely short ; anteriorly scaly; anterior toes united for more than 
half their length, outer longer than inner, hind toe small. Claws stout, 
compressed, arched, very acute. Plumage rather compact. Wings rather 
long, pointed. Tail various, of twelve feathers. Tongue very short, fleshy, 
with the sides parallel, the tip tapering to a bluntish point. Roof of upper 
mandible moderately concave, with a median ridge and oblique lateral 
grooves. (Esophagus very wide, without crop ; stomach very large, round, 
with its muscular coat very thin ; the epithelium dense, very thin, with 
tortuous rugae ; intestine very long, extremely slender ; no coeca ; cloaca 
very large, globular. Trachea with three pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles. 
Genus I.— ALCEDO, Linn. KINGFISHER. 
Bill long, straight, rather stout, broader than high at the base, but sud- 
denly much compressed, tapering to an acute point ; upper mandible with 
the dorsal line almost straight, the ridge distinct, but somewhat flattened, 
the edges nearly straight, without notch, the tip acute ; lower mandible 
with the angle of moderate length and narrow, the dorsal line ascending 
and nearly straight ; gap-line commencing beneath the middle of the eye ; 
nostrils basal, near the ridge, linear, obliquely ascending, half closed by a 
bare membrane. Head large, oblong ; neck short ; body robust. Feet very 
short ; tarsus extremely short, roundish, anteriorly faintly scaly ; anterior 
toes cohered for a great part of the length, outer longer than inner, first 
small. Claws rather short, stout, arched, acute. Plumage rather compact, 
more blended above. Wings long, pointed, with the second and third quills 
longest. Tail short, even, of twelve rounded feathers. 
