128 INS ES SORES. 
resentative of its tribe in the United States; but 
being abundant wherever fresh water and good fish- 
ing are to be found, it has become quite familiar, 
occupying as prominent a place in our Natural His- 
tory, as the pretty little European species does in the 
rural landscapes of Great Britain. The form and 
Belted Kingfisher. 
appearance of the Kingfisher are peculiar. A long, 
sharp, and powerful bill ; a large head, surmounted 
by a crest that adds fierceness to its look ; a thick 
neck and robust body, but rather small in proportion; 
wings ample ; legs very short, and feet small. The 
upper parts of the plumage are bluish lead color, 
lower parts mostly white; in the male a band of black 
crosses the upper part of the breast; in the female 
the blue tint is not so perceptible, and the band 
across the breast is reddish brown, the belly being 
girted with a broad belt of the same color. 
Its favorite places of resort are near inland streams, 
