172 
ALCEDO ALCYONE 
at random, but snugly secured from the winds and the 
weather in the recesses of the earth ; neither is its 
head or its feathers believed, even by the most illite- 
rate of our clowns or seamen, to be a charm for love, 
a protection against witchcraft, or a security for fair 
weather. It is neither venerated, like those of the 
Society Isles, nor dreaded, like those of some other 
countries ; but is considered merely as a bird that feeds 
on fish ; is generally fat ; relished by some as good 
eating ; and is now and then seen exposed for sale in 
our markets. 
Though the kingsfisher generally remains with us, in 
Pennsylvania, until the commencement of cold weather, 
it is seldom seen here in winter ; but returns to us 
early in April. In North and South Carolina, I 
observed numbers of these birds in the months o£ 
February and March. I also frequently noticed them 
on the shores of the Ohio, in February, as high up as 
the mouth of the Muskingum. 
I suspect this bird to be a native of the Bahama 
Islands, as well as of our continent. In passing between 
these isles and the Florida shore, in the month of July, 
a kingsfisher flew several times round our ship, and 
afterwards shot off to the south. 
The length of this species is twelve inches and a half, 
extent twenty ; back and whole upper parts, a light 
bluish slate colour ; round the neck is a collar of pure 
white, which reaches before to the chin ; head, large, 
crested ; the feathers, long and narrow, black in the 
centre, and generally erect ; the shafts of all the feathers, 
except the white plumage, are black ; belly and vent, 
white ; sides under the wings, variegated with blue ; 
round the upper part of the breast passes a band of 
blue, interspersed with some light brown feathers ; 
before the eye is a small spot of white, and another 
immediately below it ; the bill is three inches long from 
the point to the slit of the mouth, strong, sharp-pointed, 
and black, except near the base of the lower mandible, 
and at the tip, where it is of a horn colour ; primaries 
and interior webs of the secondaries, black, spotted 
