N° 32. Black-breafted K.
33. Surinam K.
N 3 34. Supercilious K,
33. White-billed K.
* * W I T H T H R E E T O E S .
36 Three-toed K.
THE chara&ers of this genus are:
The bill long, ftrong, ftrait, ftiarp-polnted.
Noftrils fmall; and in many fpecies hid in the feathers.
Tongue fhort, broad, fharp-pointed.
Legs Ihort, three toes forward, and one backward*: three
lower joints of the middle toe joined clofely to thofe o f the outmoft.
Every part of the world is furnifhed with one or other of the
Kingsfijher tribe ; but it is believed that Europe pofiefles only a
Angle fpecies. Moll of the genus frequent rivers, and live on
fifh, the Angularity of catching which is admirable : fometimes
hovering over the water, where a fhoal of fmall Allies is feen playing
near the furface j at other times waiting with attention, on fome
low branch, hanging over the water, for the approach of a Angle
one, who is fo unlucky as to fwim that way; in either cafe dropping
like a ftone, or rather darting with rapidity on his prey, when,
feizing it crofs-ways in his bill, it retires to a refting-place, to feaft
on i t ; which it does piecemeal, bones and all, without referve,
afterwards bringing up the indigeftible parts in pellets, like birds
of prey.
The wings o f moil of the genus are very Ihort, yet the birds
fly rapidly, and with great ftrength.
* One fpecies excepted, which has but three toes in all.
It
It may be remarked, that throughout this genus, blue, in different
lhades, is the molt predominant colour.
1.
GREAT
BROWN
KINGSFISHER.
* W i t h F O U R T O E S .
Le grand Martin pefcheur de la Nouvelle Guinée, Son. Voy. n, 171,
*-]T*HIS is the largeft fpecies yet known, and is in length eigh- D e s c r ip t io h .
teen inches. The bill is very large, ftrong, thick at the
bafe, .bent at the end, and three inches and a quarter long; the
upper mandible black, the under white, with the bafe only black :
the feathers of the head are elongated fufficient to form a moderate
creft: the feathers are narrow and brown, ftreaked with paler
brown : Ades of the head above the eye, and hind part of the
head, dirty white, with a mixture of dulky; beneath the eyes,
and the Ades o f the neck, deep brown: upper part of the back
and wings olive brown ; the lower part and rump ftne pale blue
green : on the middle of the wing coverts a large patch of glofty
pale blue green : outer edges of the quills blue; within, and tips,
black; the bafe of fome of them white, forming a fpot: tail ftve
inches and a half long, rounded at the end, barred ferruginous,
and fteel black, with a glofs of purple; the end, for one inch,
white: the under parts of the body dirty white, tranfverfely
ftreaked with narrow dulky lines : legs yellow: claws black.
In one of thefe, fuppofed to be a female, the head was not F emale,
crefted: the crown plain deep brown : the under parts of the
body white, which encircled the neck as a collar, at the lower
p a rt: the whole back and wings olive brown ; fome of the mid-
4 1 die
pl.106.— Pl. enl. 663.
Le plus grand Martin pêcheur, Buf, oif. vii. p. 1S1.