BIRDS-ALCEDINIDAE. 
157 
Family ALCEDINIDAE. Kingfishers. 
Head large; bill long, strong, straight, and sub-pyramidal, usually longer than the head. Tongue very small. Wings 
short; legs small; the outer and middle toes united to their middle. Toes with the usual number of joints, (2, 3, 4, 5.) 
The gape of the bill in the kingfishers is large, reaching to beneath the eyes. The third 
primary is generally longest; the first decidedly shorter ; the secondaries vary from twelve to 
fifteen in number, all nearly equal. The secondaries cover at least three quarters of the wing. 
The tail is short, the feathers twelve in number ; they are rather narrow ; the outer usually 
shorter. The lower part of the tibia is bare, leaving the joint and the tarsus uncovered. The 
tarsus is covered anteriorly with plates ; behind it is shagreen-like or granulated. The hind 
toe is connected with the inner, so as to form with it and the others a regular sole, which 
extends unbroken beneath the middle and outer as far as the latter are united. The inner toe 
is much shorter than the outer. The claws are sharp ; the middle expanded on its inner edge, 
but not pectinated. 
The North American species of kingfisher belong to the sub-family Cerylinae, characterized 
by the crested head, and the plumage varying with sex and age. The single genus Ceryle 
includes two types, Megaceryle and Chloroceryle. 
CERYLE, Boie. 
Ceryle, Boie, Isis, 1828, 316, type C. rvdis? 
Iepida, Sw. Birds, II, 1837, 336, (type C. alcyon.) 
Sp. Ch. —Bill long, straight, and strong, the culmen slightly advancing on the forehead and sloping to the acute tip ; the sides 
much compressed ; the lateral margins rather dilated at the base, and straight to the tip ; the gonys long and ascending. Tail 
rather long and broad. Tarsi short and stout. 
This genus is distinguished from the typical Alcedo (confined to the Old World) by the longer 
tail, an indented groove on each side the culmen, inner toe much longer than the hinder instead 
of equal, &c. 
The two species of North American kingfishers belong to two different genera of modern 
systematists, the one to Megaceryle, Reich, the other to Chloroceryle, Kaup. The characters of 
these sub-genera are as follows : 
Megaceryle, Reichenbach.—Bill very stout and thick. Tarsus about equal to the hind 
toe ; much shorter than the inner anterior ; scarcely as long as the lower jaw is deep. 
Plumage without metallic gloss ; the occipital feathers much elongated, linear, and 
distinct. M. alcyon. 
Chloroceryle, Kaup.—Size smaller and shape more slender than in preceding. Bill 
long, thin. Tarsi longer than hind toe; almost or quite as long as the inner anterior. 
Plumage with a green metallic gloss above ; the occiput with a crest of rather short, 
indistinct feathers. . C. americana. 
Comparative measurements of species. 
Catal. 
No. 
Species. 
Locality. 
Sex. 
Length. 
Stretch 
ofwings. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Tarsus. 
Middle 
toe. 
Its claw 
along. 
Bill 
above. 
Along 
gape. 
Specimen 
measured. 
1640 
o 
11.28 
6.16 
4.24 
0.42 
0.84 
0.28 
2.20 
2.60 
do. 
13.25 
22.00 
6.15 
617 
s 
13.00 
22.00 
6.50 
4.00 
0.40 
0.97 
0.34 
2 16 
2.85 
8410 
o 
19.36 
6.44 
4 72 
0.42 
0.90 
0.30 
2 20 
2.52 
6191 
6.75 
4 25 
0.40 
1.05 
0.40 
2 40 
3 00 
8638 
11.18 
6.18 
4.09 
0.40 
0.90 
0.30 
2.42 
2.54 
do. 
12.25 
20.00 
6.25 
6194 
Nueces, Texas. 
Q 
8.04 
3.42 
2 82 
0.38 
0.70 
0.28 
1.72 
1.82 
7103 
Western Texas 
A 
3.30 
2.60 
0.38 
0.68 
9.26 
do. 
8.50 
12.00 
3.50 
7987 
Guatemala. 
. 
7.80 
3.42 
2.48 
0.38 
0.68 
0.24 
1.98 
1.98 
Skin. 
