File:Report on the birds of Pennsylvania - with special reference to the food habits, based on over four thousand stomach examinations (1890) (20480191728).jpg

Title: Report on the birds of Pennsylvania : with special reference to the food habits, based on over four thousand stomach examinations
Identifier: commercialpoultr11 (find matches)
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Warren, Benjamin Harry, 1858-
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Harrisburg : E. K. Meyers, State Printer
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
i 162 BIIWS OF PENNSYLVANIA. feeding- principally on insects and fruits, procures fresh-water shell-fish and aquatic larvjie for its sustenance. It is, therefore, more fre(iuently seen on the ground, near the edg-es of the water, or descending- along- the drooping- branches of trees to their extremities, to seize the insects in the water beneath them." In the adult plumage the Yellow-billed and the Black-billed Cuckoos, when flying, can be distinguished, if you bear in mind that in the former the long tail feathers, with larg-e white tips, are very conspicuous ; on the other hand, the white tips on the tail feathers of the Black-billed are not well marked. This bird, us well as the Yel- low-billed Cuckoo, I have observed, subsists largely on the tent cater- pillars, which are so numerous at times on our various fruit and shade trees. It also feeds on beetles, gi'asshoppers, snails and earth-worms. Suborder ALCYONES. Kingfishers. Family ALCEDINIDiE. Kingfishers. Genus CERYLE Boie. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). Belt Oil KinffflsUer. Description (Plate 20). Tiength about 13 inches ; extent of wings about 22 inclics. Bill long, straight and sharp; legs small; outer and middle toes united to their middle ; head has long crest; plumage of upper parts, dull leaden blue, more or less streaked with black ; featiiers of side.s, wings, and broad band across breast, dull blue like back ; spot in front of eye, ^vhite ; tail with transverse bands and white spots. Female similar Inxt barred across belly, and feathers on sides reddish-brown. Ilnhitat.—^ovih America, south to Panama and the West Indies. Kiuo-lishers are common along our rivers, streams and ponds, about which they are found at all seasons, unless forced to mig-rate southward by excessively cold weather. The loud and harsh cry of this l)ird, as Wilson has properly stated, is not unlike the noise made by twirling- a watchman's rattle. " It is uttered while moving- from place to place, always on being disturbed, and even sometimes when he is about to plung-e into the water for a fish. But esj^ecially it is heard at nig-ht when the male bird is returning- to tlu; nest with'food for his mate and yoxm^."—Gentry. Their eggs are deposited in holes which they exca- vate in the sides of banks, usually about the streams and ponds they frequent. On many occasions, I have discovered their nests in high em- bankments along public roads, railroad cuts and o\(\ (luarries. The ex- cavatKms vary greatly in depth, but avenige about four or five feet; oc- casionally you find one straight, commonly, however, they are directed to the right or left of the main c^pening and terminate in quite a large cavity. The eggs (1.30 by LOG mches) are white and usually six in num- k \ i Plate 39.
Text Appearing After Image:
Ced'dr Bird, or Cedar Wax-wing. 1. Msile; 2. Female. COLOR PLATE

Note About Images