BIRDS—ALCEDINIDAE—CERYLE AMERICANA. 
159 
CERYLE AMERICANA, Bo e. 
Texas Kingfisher. 
Jllcedo americana, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 451. 
Ceryle americana, Boie, Isis, 1828, 316.— Lawrence, Annals, N. Y. Lyceum,V, 1851, 118. (First introduction 
into the fauna of United States.)— Cassin, Illustrations, I, 1855, 255.— Brewer, N. Am. Oology, 
I, 1857, 3 ; pi. iv, f. 53, (Egg.) 
Cliloroceryle americana, Reichenb. Handb. Sp. Orn. I, ii, 1851, 27 ; pi. 413, f. 3112—’15. 
Jllcedo viridis, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XIX, 1818, 413, (Cassin.) 
Sp. Ch. —Head slightly crested. Upper parts with a pectoral and abdominal band of blotches, glossy green, as also a line 
on each side the throat. Under parts generally, a collar on the back of the neck, and a double series of spots on the quills, white ; 
a chestnut band across the breast in some skins. Length, about 8 inches ; wing, 3|. 
Hab. —Rio Grande region of Texas and southward. 
This species is very much smaller than the common northern kingfisher, the body scarcely 
exceeding in size that of the downy woodpecker. 
The third quill is longest; the second and fourth scarcely shorter. The fifth is intermediate 
between the fifth and sixth. The tail is considerably rounded ; the lateral feathers about half 
an inch shorter than the middle ones. 
The general color of the upper parts in this species is a rich glossy or metallic green ; of the 
lower, white. The white of the throat is continued across the back of the neck, and enlarges 
somewhat on the upper part of the back. There is a transverse band across the upper part of 
the breast formed by crescentic spots of green like that of the back ; there is a second transverse 
band with the spots more distinct and rounded ; similar spots are seen on the side of the body. 
There is also a line of green commencing on each side of the throat below the eye, and running 
into the pectoral band. 
The wing when folded exhibits four transverse rows of spots on the outer webs of the wing 
feathers, faint traces of a fifth and sixth being visible on the ends of the primaries. The inner 
webs of the quills are similarly spotted. The middle tail feathers are like the back ; the rest 
have the extremities green, the basal portion white, with various white blotches elsewhere, 
especially on the inner webs. The bill and feet are black. There is a good deal of white on 
the basal portion of the dorsal and scapular feathers. 
The specimens before me do not exhibit much variation. In the most mature the top of the 
head is uniformly green ; in the others it is faintly spotted with whitish. In one specimen 
there is an indication of white feathers on the lower eyelid. 
There is no appreciable difference in color between sexes, as marked on the labels. Two 
specimens (7104 and 7102, female) have the bill much shorter than in the adult, the culmen 
being not much longer than the head, and the lower mandible yellow at the base and tip, 
instead of black. The green of the head above is much duller, and more spotted with brownish 
white. I cannot say whether this is indicative of immaturity or of the female. 
Of the half dozen specimens before me, only one (7103) has the pectoral chestnut colored 
band, described as characteristic of the adult. This is about an inch wide, and replaces the 
anterior band of green spots. 
A specimen from Guatemala, without chestnut pectoral band, agrees in every respect with 
those from Texas. 
