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THE BELTED KINGFISHEK. 
Alcedo Alcyon, Linn. 
PLATE CCLY. — Male and Female. 
You must not suppose, good-natured reader, that the lives which I try to 
write, are short or lengthy, according to the natural dimensions of the objects 
themselves ; for if, with the representation of a large bird, I present you with 
a long history of its habits, it is merely because that bird, being perhaps 
more common, and therefore more conspicuous, I have had better and more 
frequent opportunities of studying them. This happens to be the case with 
the bird which I proceed to describe. 
The Belted Kingfisher ! — Now, kind reader, were I infected with the 
desire of giving new names to well-known objects, you may be assured that, 
notwithstanding the. partly appropriate name given to this bird, I should 
call it, as I think it ought to have been called, the United States Kingfisher. 
My reason for this will, I hope, become apparent to you, when I say that it 
is the only bird of its genus found upon the inland streams of the Union. 
Another reason of equal force might be adduced, which is, that, although the 
males of all denominations have, from time immemorial, obtained the supre- 
macy, in this particular case the term Belted applies only to the female — • 
the male being destitute of the belt or band by which she is distinguished. 
This species is a constant resident in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Arkansas, and all the districts that lie to the south of North Carolina. Its 
inland migrations along the windings of our noble rivers extend far and 
wide, over the whole of the United States. In all those portions which I 
have visited it also breeds, although it returns to the south from many parts 
during severe winters. 
The flight of this bird is rapid, and is prolonged according to its necessities, 
extending at times to considerable distances, in which case it is performed 
high in the air. When, for instance, the whole course of one of our northeru 
rivers becomes frozen, the Kingfisher, instead of skimming closely over the 
surface that no longer allows it to supply itself with food, passes high above 
the tallest trees, and takes advantage of every short cut which the situation 
of the river affords. By this means it soon reaches a milder climate. This 
is also frequently the case, when it seems tired of the kind of fish that 
occurs in a lake, and removes to another in a direct line, passing over the 
