94 A BOOK OF BIRDS 



shaped end to each feather. No other bird is known thus to trim its 

 plumage. 



Among the most beautiful of living birds are the Kingfishers, 

 which, in the matter of size, present a wide range, the largest species, 

 the Australian *' Laughing Jackass," being as large as a Jackdaw, 

 while the smallest are not so big as Sparrows. 



In coloration they present a wonderful variety, the most sombre 

 being the Laughing Jackass ; black and white ; blue and white ; 

 red ; and blue and red are the chief types. 



One of the most familiar is the Common Kingfisher (Plate XIX. 

 fig. 2). This bird is yet happily fairly common in parts of Great 

 Britain, in spite of the fact that it is ruthlessly shot down by people 

 who have charge of fish-hatcheries ; and by others who kill them in 

 order that they may be made up into atrocities to be worn in the 

 hats of thoughtless women as " ornaments " ! 



The Common Kingfisher breeds in holes in banks, generally by 

 the side of some stream. No nest is made, but the eggs, which are 

 white, and wonderfully translucent, are laid on a bed of fishbones and 

 the hard parts of Crustacea ejected by the birds after all the flesh 

 therefrom has been digested. Some Kingfishers, however, feed not 

 on fish, but on worms, insects, and reptiles. 



While the Kingfishers present some species which are dull 

 coloured, the Bee-eaters, their near relatives, are all brilliantly coloured 

 birds, green, blue, and a wonderful rose-red being the principal types, 

 and these colours may be relieved by patches of red or yellow. They 

 are confined to the temperate and tropical portions of the Old 

 World. 



Bee-eaters breed in holes in banks, or even in tunnels bored almost 

 vertically into the level ground. These excavations may extend 

 from 3 to as many as 10 feet. The eggs are white. 



The Common Bee-eater (Plate XIX. fig. 4) occurs occasionally 

 in Great Britain, when it is promptly slaughtered by the reckless 

 ** collector." Like all the members of the family, this bird is an 

 insect-eater, and shows a partiality for bees, and hence, in Spain, 

 where it is common, is rather a nuisance at times to bee-keepers. 

 When seen in flocks, this bird affords a surpassingly beautiful 

 spectacle. 



