158 
U. 8 P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
CERYLE ALCYON, Boie. 
Belted Kingfisher. 
Mcedo alcyon, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. I, 17G6, 180.— Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 59.— Audubon, Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 
394 ; pi. 77.— Ib. Birds America. 
Ceryle alcyon, Boie, Isis, 1828, 316.— Cassin, Ulust. I, 1855, 254.— Brewer, N Am. Oology, I, 1857, 110 ; pi. iv, 
fig- 52. (Egg.) 
Megacerijle alcyon, Reichenb. Handb. Sp. Orn. I, ii, 1851, 25 ; pi. 412, fig. 3108-’9. 
Ispida ludoviciana, Gmelin, Syst. Nat I, 1788, 452. 
“ Alcedo jaguacate, Dumont, Diet. Sc. Nat. I, 1816, 455,” (Cassin.) 
“ Jllcedo guacu, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XIX, 1818, 406,” (Cassin.) 
Sp. Ch. —Head with a long crest. Above blue, without metallic lustre. Beneath, with a concealed band across the occiput, 
and a spot anterior to the eye, pure white. A band across the breast, and the sides of the body under the wings, like the back. 
Primaries white on the basal half, the terminal unspotted. Tail with transverse bands and spots of white. 
Young with the sides of body and a transverse band across the belly below the pectoral one, light chestnut ; the pectoral 
band more or less tinged with the same. Length of adult about 12£ inches ; wing, 6 or more. 
Hab. —The entire continent of North America. 
The above diagnosis will serve to identify the present species sufficiently for all practical 
purposes. The length of the hill and the other dimensions vary quite considerably, and, as a 
general rule, specimens from the Pacific coast are appreciably larger than eastern ones, though I 
have been unable to detect any difference of coloration. Mr. Bell, of New York, says that the 
difference in size between living birds of New York and California is very striking. The 
comparative table of measurements will serve to illustrate these differences. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex and 
age. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig’l 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
6929 
Donald Gunn. 
69.86 
617 
April 17,1842 
S. F. Baird. 
12.75 
22.00 
1640 
July 18, 1844 
13.25 
22.00 
6.17 
1641 
% 
12.25 
20.75 
5.92 
6520 
52.84 
July 25, 1856 
Lieut. G. K. Warren 
4657 
Col. A. Vaughan... 
5867 
Dr. Ilammond & J. 
Xantus de Vesey. 
5625 
C? 
Bryan’s fork, 115 miles 
July 3,1856 
Lieut. F. T. Bryan. 
63 
W. S. Wood... 
11.00 
5626 
9 
108 miles west of Fort 
July 2, 1856 
59 
11.00 
A 
17 
11.00 
O 
Capt. J. Pope. 
Sept. 30,1856 
14.50 
21.50 
6.75 
3960 
Tamaulipas, Mexico ... 
Mar. —, 1853 
Lieut. Couch. 
12.25 
19.75 
6.00 
bill slate; feet dove 
color. 
o 
Aug. 17, 1841 
S. F. Baird. 
Wosnesjensky. 
V 
Lieut. Trowbridge . 
Feb. 15, 1854 
Gov. Stevens. 
38 
Dr. Suckley ... 
11.50 
19.00 
6.75 
Jan. 20, 1854 
16 
Jan. —, 1855 
Lieut. Trowbridge . 
T. A. Szabo.,.. 
12.00 
4587 
