. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relation; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . n many. Plumage generally soft and blended, but varying in texture ;the feathers oblong, with the barbs separated ; those of the hindhead generally, and of the rump often, elongated. AN^ings rathershort, very broad, concave, rounded ; the quills twenty-five ;the primaries not much longer than the secondaries ; the firstquill extremely small, the
. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relation; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . n many. Plumage generally soft and blended, but varying in texture ;the feathers oblong, with the barbs separated ; those of the hindhead generally, and of the rump often, elongated. AN^ings rathershort, very broad, concave, rounded ; the quills twenty-five ;the primaries not much longer than the secondaries ; the firstquill extremely small, the second considerably shorter than thethird, which is about the same length as the fourth; the otherprimaries diminish slowly; the secondaries of moderate breadth,and rounded. The tail short, rounded, of twelve moderatelybroad, soft, rounded feathers. The Kingfishers, as above characterized, are extensively dis-tributed over the old continent, the Indian islands, and Aus-tralia. They feed on small fishes and insects, wdiich theyprocure by darting upon them from an elevated place. Theygenerally nestle in holes, feed their young with fish, and aroof solitary habits. Only a single species occurs in Britain. ♦571 ALCEDO ISPIDA. HALCYON Fig. 275. Alcedo Ispida. Linn. Syst- Nat. I. 179- Alcedo Ispida. Lath. Ind. Orn. I. 2,52. Common Kingfisher. Mont. Orn. Diet. Martin-pccheur Alcyon. Alcedo Ispida. Temm. Man. dOrn. I. 423. Common Kings-fisher. Alcedo Ispida. Selb. lllustr. I. Alcedo Ispida. Common King-fisher. Jen. Brit. Yert. An. 157. Upper part of the head and tcing-coterts dull (jreen spottedtrith light blue ; middle of the hack and rump glossy light blue ;throat and a patch on the side of the neck yellowish-white ; loicerparts yelloicisk-rcd. Female similar. Male.—The Halcyon Kingfisher, although one of the leastelegantly formed of our native birds, is among the most dis-tinguished for the beauty of its plumage, which is such as atonce to recal to mind the s
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