THE KINGFISHERS. 



nir. COMMON KlXCiFIsaEK.* 



The FovRxn Fasiily consists of tlie Kingfishers, to wliich we have now to advert. 

 These birds are characterised by ha^■^ng a straight, lengthened, and pointed beak, by 

 extreme shortness of the tarsi, and bj' the short tail and rounded wiugs. The weight 

 of a bird is an ounce and a half, and its length about seven inches. The colour of the 

 crown of the head is a dark changeable green-blue, with numerous transverse bars of 

 bright azure, the throat is buff, the under, parts of a duU orange, wliile do\TO the middle 

 of the back and on the upper tail coverts is a fine bright azuie. The tail is a deep blue, 

 and the legs are orange-red. 



In the neighbourhood of all our streams, and especiallj' those which flow through 

 fertile valleys and abound in fish, this splendid but voracious bii'd may be found, glancing 

 in all directions with the greatest rai>idily of flight, its brilliant hues gleaming in the 

 sunbeams. !Xow poising itself in the air, it anon darts with astonishing velocity at some 

 unwarj- fish whom it has detected in the depths of the stream, and then perches on a 

 projecting branch or crag by the water side, where it waits with the utmost patience till 

 some fish appears to view, when with one swoop it is borne away to its resting-place and 



* Alctdo Ispi(l;i. Linn. 



