File:Key to North American birds (microform) - containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, (20428721689).jpg

Title: Key to North American birds (microform) : containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland
Identifier: cihm_08711 (find matches)
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899
Subjects: Birds; Ornithology; Oiseaux; Ornithologie
Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat
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Digitizing Sponsor: University of Alberta Libraries

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Text Appearing Before Image:
470 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PICAEIJE — CUCULIFORMES. Large ipecicB, dull blue nbove alcyon 423 Small specieH, glas»y green above cabanisi 424 423. C. al'cyon. (Liit. ulajon, a kingfisher. Fig. 321.) Beltkd KiNCiFlSiiKii. Upper parts, broad pectoral bar, ami siiles uiuler the wings, dull blue with fine blaek shaft lines. Lower eyelid, spot before eye, a eervical eolhir and under j)arts excejrt as said, pure white; the 9 with a chestnut belly-band and the sides of the same color. Quills and tail-feathers blaek, spec- kled, blotched or barred on the inner webs with white;; outer webs of the seccmdaries and tail-feathers like the back : M'ing-coverts frequently sprinkled with white. Bill black, pale at base below. Feet dark ; tibia) naked below. A long, thin, jiointed occipital crest; plunuigc compact and oily to resist water, into which the birds constantly plungi; after their finny prey. Lengtii 12.00-1:5.00; extent 21.00-2;5.00; M-ing (i.OO- f).,)0; tail 3.30-5.00; whole foot 1.33; cuhnen 1.7")- 2.25. N. Am., cnmmon everywhere, resident or only forced southward by freezing of the waters. This fine bird, whose hiud rattling notes are as familiar soun<ls along our streams as the noise of the mill-dam or the machinery, buiTows to the depth of si.\ or eight feet in the ground, and lays as many crystal white sjdieroidal eggs, 1.25 X 1.05, at the enlarged extremity of the tunnel. 434. C. ainerlca'na eaba'iiisi. (To Dr. Jean t'abanis, of Germany.) Tkxan Green Kixa- FisiiEU. Ad'U (J : Entire upper parts glo.ssy-green, with bronze lustre, the bases of nearly all the feather! snowy-white, which appears sometimes upon the surface; crown, scai)ulars and wing-coverts supei-ficially sprinkled with white. Wing-ipiills dusky on inner webs, green on the outer, both marked in regular double series with pairs of white spots, scallops or bars. Central tail-feathers dark green, usually touched with white along the edges, the others green with white bars becioming confluent at the bases of the feathers, where forming white spaces more extensive than the green portion. Cervical collar and entire under parts white, the breast, belly, sides and crissum sj)otted with glossy-green. Bill black, usually light at base below; feet dark. A supposed 9 difl"ers in having the green-spotted idumage of tlio under parts and adjoining white urea tinged with chestnut. Length about 8.00; wing 3.25-3.50; tail 2.50 ; bill 1.07; whole foot 1.00. Valleys of the Lower Kio Grande and Colorado, and southward; common. Nesting and eggs as in C alcyon; eggs 4-(), very thin and smooth, lilic porcelain, rounded oval, 0.90-1.00 X 0.()8-0.75.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fio. .^L'1. — lieltnl Kliigfislicr. reduced. (From Teiiney, after Wilson.) 26. Family CUCULID.^: Cuckoos. Feet ztigodadyh hij reversion of the fourth toe. This character, in cnnnection with those given below, will answer present jiurjioses; and, in my ignorance of some of tlie exotic forms, 1 cannot attempt to give a full diagnosis. The only other North American birds with the toes yoked in the same combination are the Picidtr and the Psittaci, whose numerous specialties will prevent any misconception regarding Cuciiliilce. The latter are desmognathous in palatal struct- ure, and homalogonatous, having the ambiens and three or all four of the other leg-muscles used by Garrod for classilicatory pur))oses ; in these important respects differing from all birds pre- viously treated in this work. There are two carotids. The oil-gland is nude, and coeca aro present. The family is a large and important one. It comprehends quite a number of leading

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