™ g - f« a th e r s . I ts geographical range is confined to th e southern
p o rtio n o f th e U n ited States, th e whole o f Central America, and th e western p ortion of
b o u th America, th e so u th ernmo st lo cality y e t reco rd ed being th e Tambo Valiev P e ru
whence specimens have been la te ly s en t b y Mr. H. Whitely, ju n r., a y o u n g and energetic
n a tu ra lis t, who is a t p resen t engaged iu exploring th a t p a rt o f th e country.
ih ro u g h th e kindness o f Dr. P . L. Sclater, I have had free access to his collection
a n d have therefore been able to examine the specimens mentioned in his catalogue, while
Mr. Salvm has placed a t my service th e whole o f h is fine series o f American Kingfishers,
th u s enabling me to ve rify the correctness o f the geographical d istrib u tio n o f th is species
by an a c tu a l examination o f specimens from most o f the above-mentioned localities.
Mr. Dresser also v e ry kin d ly len t me th e specimens collected by him in Te x a s : and there
IS no_ d o u b t b u t th a t th ey are referable to th e p resent bird. Some difficulty may bo
experienced_ in d etorm inmg th e species from y o u n g examples, as I th in k all Kingfishers
a re a lo n g tim e g a in in g th e ir fu h y ad u lt size and plumage. The len g th o f the win g is the
best guide, I th in k , b u t old b ird s a re easily distin g u ish ed b y th e ir la rg e r and more
ro b u st size. °
_ As th e type o f th e p resen t species came from P e ru , I have th o u g h t i t b est to figure a
p a ir irom th a t co u n try . The b ird s in the accompanying p late a re drawn from two very
p ro cu red on th e 1 0th o f October, 1867, in th e Tambo Valley, by
Mv. H. Whitely, ju n r. The descrip tio n and measurements are also tak en from these
birds, which are b o th m my own collection.
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