. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relations; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . e case in 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. Wings rathershort, very broad, concave, rounded ; the quills twenty-five;the primaries not much longer than the secondaries ; the firstquill extremely small
. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relations; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . e case in 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. Wings 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, which theyprocure by darting upon them from an elevated place. Theygenerally nestle in holes, feed their young with fish, and areof solitary habits. Only a single species occurs in Britain. 671 ALCEDO ISPIDA. HALCYON Fig. 275, Alcedo Ispida. Linn. Syst- Nat. I. 179,Alcedo Ispida. Lath, Ind. Orn. L Kingfisher. Mont. Orn. Alcyon. Alcedo Kings-fisher. Alcedo Ispida. Common King-fisher . Temm. Man. dOrn. I. 423. Selb. Illustr. I. Brit. Vert. An. 157, Upper fart of the head and ucing-coverts dull green spottedwith light blue ; middle of the hack and rump glossy light blue;throat and a patch on the side of the neck yellowish-white; lowerparts yelloioish-red. 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 splendour of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidhistoryofbr, booksubjectbirdsgreatbritain
