Part 89

Male with the upper parts bright cinnamon or reddish-orange, the head bronzed green, the wings dusky purple, their coverts glossed with green; each of the tail-feathers with a narrow, longitudinal, lanceolate, median streak toward the end; loral space, a narrow band over the eye, another beneath it, and auricular, orange-red; scale-like feathers of the throat and sides of the neck splendent, fire-red, changing to purplish-red, yellowish-red, greenish-yellow, or yellowish-green; behind them on the fore neck a broad band of reddish-white; the rest of the lower parts like the upper, the abdomen inclining to white. Female with the upper parts gold-green, the head inclining to brown; wings as in the male; tail-feathers orange-red at the base, brownish-black toward the end, the tip white; lower parts white, tinged with rufous, especially the sides; throat with roundish spots of metallic greenish-red.

Male, 3-7/12, wing, 1-((7-1/4)/12).

From California along the north-west coast to Nootka Sound. Abundant. Migratory.

Trochilus rufus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 497.

Trochilus (Selasphorus) rufus, Cinnamon or Nootka Humming Bird, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 324.

Ruffed-necked Humming Bird, Trochilus rufus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 555.

FAMILY XXV. ALCEDINÆ. KINGFISHERS.

Bill long, straight, stout, broader than high at the base, much compressed, tapering to a rather acute point, and gape-line commencing beneath the middle of the eyes. Head large, ovato-oblong; neck short; body stout. Tarsus extremely short; anteriorly scaly; anterior toes united for more than half their length, outer longer than inner, hind toe small. Claws stout, compressed, arched, very acute. Plumage rather compact. Wings rather long, pointed. Tail various, of twelve feathers. Tongue very short, fleshy, with the sides parallel, the tip tapering to a bluntish point. Roof of upper mandible moderately concave, with a median ridge and oblique lateral grooves. Œsophagus very wide, without crop; stomach very large, round, with its muscular coat very thin; the epithelium dense, very thin, with tortuous rugæ; intestine very long, extremely slender; no cœca; cloaca very large, globular. Trachea with three pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles.

GENUS I. ALCEDO, Linn. KINGFISHER.

Bill long, straight, rather stout, broader than high at the base, but suddenly much compressed, and tapering to an acute point; upper mandible with the dorsal line almost straight, the ridge distinct, but somewhat flattened, the edges nearly straight, without notch, the tip acute; lower mandible with the angle of moderate length and narrow, the dorsal line ascending and nearly straight; gape-line commencing beneath the middle of the eye; nostrils basal, near the ridge, linear, obliquely ascending, half closed by a bare membrane. Head large, oblong; neck short; body robust. Feet very short; tarsus extremely short, roundish, anteriorly faintly scaly; anterior toes cohered for a great part of the length, outer longer than inner, first small. Claws rather short, stout, arched, acute. Plumage rather compact, more blended above. Wings long, pointed, with the second and third quills longest. Tail short, even, of twelve rounded feathers.

255. 1. Alcedo Alcyon, Linn. Belted Kingfisher.

Plate LXXVII. Male and Female.

Crested, with the upper parts, cheeks, and a broad belt across the fore part of the breast, light blue, the shaft of each feather darker; lower parts, with a small spot before the eye, and another on the lower eyelid, white; many of the feathers on the sides light blue, banded with white; quills black; the primaries barred with white at the base, and having the inner web of that colour for half its length; the secondaries broadly edged with light blue, dotted and tipped with white, and having the inner web barred with the same; tail-feathers dusky, edged with blue, barred and tipped with white. Female similar to the male, with the tints duller, and the sides with a band across the middle of the breast light red.

Male, 12-1/2, 20.

Breeds from Texas all over the United States, to the Fur Countries, Missouri, Rocky Mountains, and Columbia River. Common. Resident.

Belted Kingfisher, Alcedo Alcyon, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 59.

Alcedo Alcyon, Bonap. Syn. p. 48.

Alcedo Alcyon, Belted Kingfisher, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 339.

Belted Kingfisher, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 594.

Belted Kingfisher, Alcedo Alcyon, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 394; v. v. p. 548.

FAMILY XXVI. PICINÆ. WOODPECKERS.

Bill long or of moderate length, straight, stout, angulate, tapering, compressed toward the tip, which is generally wedge-shaped and abrupt; mandibles nearly equal, outline of the upper slightly convex, the ridge narrow, sides sloping, with a lateral ridge, edges straight; lower with the angle short and narrow, the dorsal line nearly straight, the ridge narrow, the sides with a faint ridge. Nostrils basal, elliptical or oblong, concealed by reversed bristly feathers. Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body stout. Legs short; tarsus short, moderately stout, anteriorly scutellate, scaly behind; toes usually four, first short, rudimentary, or sometimes wanting, fourth very long and reversed, equalling or exceeding the third. Claws large, strong, much curved, much compressed, very acute. Plumage soft, blended, rather compact on the back; wings of moderate length or long; with the first quill very small, the third, fourth, and fifth longest. Tail of moderate length, much rounded or cuneate, of twelve feathers, of which the lateral are extremely small, and placed above the next, the rest, but especially the three middle pairs, with the shafts exceedingly large and strong, the webs narrowed toward the end, with their filaments deflected and stiff, the tip pointed or emarginate from being worn. Tongue slender, with the tip horny and furnished with reversed prickles or bristles, capable of being protruded to a great length by the elongation of the hyoid bones, which curve over the head to between the right eye and nostril, or even extend round a great part of that eye. Œsophagus of uniform width; proventriculus extremely large; stomach of moderate size, or rather small, broadly elliptical or roundish, moderately muscular; epithelium thin, dense, and longitudinally rugous; intestine of moderate length, rather wide; no cœca; cloaca very large, globular, or elliptical. Trachea simple, with a single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest a cavity dug in a tree; eggs from four to six, elliptical, white.

The groups present characters which are so undecided, and exhibit such gradual approximations, that I think it better here to consider all our Woodpeckers as of one genus.

GENUS I. PICUS, Linn. WOODPECKER.

Character as above.

* Bill straight, with the angles prominent.

256. 1. Picus imperialis, Gould. Imperial Woodpecker.

Not figured.