DACIII.ONIN.E. The Hoeclonime are all Old World birds, often found far from water, to which they seldom resort ; they breed in holes in trees and pick their insect and reptile food from the ground by darting down on it from above. About SO species are known, the most interesting of which belong to the genera Dacelo, Halcyon, Tanysipterm and Ceyx. The first of these in cludes the famous laughing-jackass (q.v.) of Australia, renowned not only for its discordant, laughing, cry, but for being a kingfisher which never fishes nor goes near the water. For this latter reason, all the Daeelonime are sometimes called (at least in hooks) 'kinghunters,' in dis tinction from true 'kingfishers.' I'lle genus Halcyon, or Alcyone, is specially characteristic of the Ethiopian region, and the subfamily is sometimes called llaleyoninas from them. They arc called 'wood kingfishers.' and feed chiefly on insects, but eat lizards, and when hard pressed will resort to streams and eaten fish. The inner front toe is short and rudimentary. The king fishers of the genus Tanysiptera are peculiar to New Guinea and neighboring islands and are remarkable for having only ten reetrices, instead of twelve. the middle pair of which are lengthened and deprived of barbs for a part of their length, so that. they are racquet-shaped, like those of some mot mats. The genus Ceyx is notable for the absence of the scroll(' toe, so that the feet are only three-toed; they are small kingfishers of the Indian region.
ALcEmIxtx.E. In the 'true' kingfishers. of the subfamily Al•edinime, we have to deal with birds of moderate or small size and great beauty of plumage. They feed primarily on fish and are therefore found about ponds. lakes, or rivers, or by the borders of the sea. They breed in holes in banks, which they themselves dig, sometimes to a depth of six or eight feet; it is slow work and occupies a pair of birds a week or more. The common European kingfisher (A lecdo ispida) and the belted kingfisher (rerylc afryon) of America are familiar and typical examples of this group.
Tile former is an exquisite little bird, not much larger than a big sparrow, with the upper parts of the head, the scapulars, and the wing-coverts dark green, the last two with light greenish-hlue spots and markings; the middle of the hack is bright beryl blue and the short tail is azure blue; the throat is white and the rest of the under parts are deep cinnamon. It is a widely dis tribute.] bird in Europe, and prefers the smaller streams and little ponds in parks, and besides fish, eats insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms. It is probable that this bird is the halcyon of the ancients, about which many won derful fables were current as to its power to quell storms, its floating nest, and the stillness of the winds dining its breeding season, which was thought to be in winter.
Our Ameriean 'belted' kingfisher is a much larger bird than the European species. It is as much as 13 inches in length, but its colors are not nearly so brilliant, although they are handsome. The upper parts are bluish-gray, more or less spotted, and marked witb white, especially en the wings and tail; the under parts are white, with a band across the breast and the sides bluish-gray; in young birds the pectoral band and sides are tinged with rufous, while in the female they are distinctly rufous. The belted kingfisher is found breeding throughout North America. Its cry is similar to a watchman's rattle, or to the fisherman's click-reel, as John Burroughs happily observes. The only other kingfisher occurring in North America is the Texan green kingfisher (eerylc Cabanasi), which is only about eight. inches long, and is glossy green above and white beneath, the lower parts spotted with green. It is found in the valleys of the Lower Rio Grande and Colorado, where it is said to be common.
Consult: Newton. Dictionary of Birds (London and New York, IS93-96), and standard authori ties on European and American ornithology. See Plate of KINGFIsnEns, Mormo•s, ETC.