^be Ikinofiebcr. 



By J. H. CUI.I.EN. 



^ ^/J l' BIRD very properly excluded from the N.B.B. 

 JHJ and M.C's. list of British Cage Birds, is the 

 I J^ subject of this paper, the Kingfisher; which, 

 ^ as Mr. Frostick says in his booklet, is "painted 



with nature's glorious tints that no human hand could 

 approach." Poor little fellow ! because he is dressed 

 in gorgeous arra}'- he is hunted and hounded from 

 pillar to post, even to his death. By whom ? B}' some 

 lazy pot hunter, whose only object is slaughter and 

 to have his poor little inanimate carcass stuffed, and 

 setup in a glass case in the most unnatural style, or 

 perhaps sold to some ignorant curiosity-monger for a 

 shilling. What harm does he do? He simply lives 

 on a few little fish that are of no service to man as 

 food, although some of my gamekeeper friends, whose 

 duty it is to watch trout streams, think otherwise. 

 The trout generally hatch out about the same time as 

 the Kingfisher is rearing its young, viz., in the month 

 of May or June. I have always tried my best to 

 convince those men of the error of their ways, and 

 sought to persuade them that it is wrong to destroy 

 such beautiful creatures simpl}^ because they take a 

 few little trout, that are preserved, not for a staple 

 article of food for mankind in general, but lor the 

 occasional sport of a favoured few ; at the same time 

 pointing out that the all ruling power, divine 

 providence, has provided an abundance of food for all 

 His creatures, as well as sports without wilful 

 destruction. 



M}" arguments have not been without result, for I 

 am proud to say that one of my gamekeeper friends, 

 after candidly admitting that the fishing was not made 

 much use of b}' the proprietor, and owning that he had 



