126 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



THIS species is a very common summer inhabitant of all 

 the New-England States. It arrives from the south 

 about the 1st of April, often earlier, particularly in early 

 springs : indeed, Mr. Verrill says they are sometimes seen 

 in Maine in winter, and they are often found in the southern 

 districts of these States in this season. The birds, on arriv- 

 ing, commence pairing ; and they soon begin excavating in a 

 sand-bank a long, winding hole of about three inches and 

 a half in diameter at the entrance, and gradually larger to 

 the end, at which the nest, composed of grasses, leaves, and 

 feathers, is built, — or laid, which would perhaps be the better 

 terin. This hole is sometimes as much as six or eight feet, 

 usually, from four to six, in length. The female deposits in 

 this nest six eggs usually : these are of a clear-white color, 

 and of a nearly spherical shape, being from 1.35 to 1.42 

 inch in length, by from 1.05 to 1.08 inch in breadth. I am 

 aware that these measurements exceed any heretofore given ; 

 but they are accurately taken from a large number of speci- 

 mens in my collection. Dr. Brewer gives the dimensions 

 as averaging 1^^ in length by lyL in breadth. The period 

 of incubation is stated by Audubon and other ornithologists 

 to be sixteen days. 



The habits of this bird are so well known that any 

 description here is almost superfluous. Its food, as its 

 name implies, consists almost entirely of fish, which he 

 obtains by diving into the water, and seizing with his bill. 

 When passing over a sheet of water, he attentively scans 

 the surface beneath him : if he observes a small fish, he 

 pauses in his flight, and remains over it a few seconds, 

 maintaining his position by short, quick vibrations of his 

 wings. If the fish is sufficiently near the surface, he sud- 

 denly dives at it, and, plunging into the water, seizes it, and 

 bears it off to some rock or post, where he can eat it at his 

 leisure. The note of the Kingfisher is a loud, harsh cry, 

 similar to the sound of a watchman's rattle : it is easily 

 heard above the rushing of the waters at a dam or other 



