122 BIRDS OF MIDDLESEX. 



dead, and then swallow it whole, head first. I have 

 been astonished to see how many fish so small a 

 bird could swallow consecutively ; I once saw a 

 Kingfisher take five good-sized minnows, one after 

 the other. That this bird is capable of being tamed 

 may be seen by any one who will take the trouble 

 to visit the fish-house in the Zoological Gardens, 

 where there are at present several live Kingfishers. 

 One of these is so tame that it will readily perch 

 upon the keeper's right hand, and seize a fish from 

 his left. Although a shortwinged bird, the King- 

 fisher has great powers of flight. I have more than 

 once seen one fly out across a harbour until the e)^e 

 could follow it no longer. Mr. Henry Hussey, on 

 Christmas Day, 1863, saw one flying over the Ser- 

 pentine in Kensington Gardens, a singular locality 

 for such a bird. 



In an interesting communication from Mr. J. H. 

 Belfrage, of Muswell Hill, referring to the King- 

 fisher, he says : " A curious instance of the instinct 

 displayed by one of these birds came under my 

 own observation. We had occasion to empty a small 

 pond in our garden, for the purpose of having it 

 cleaned out. When that process had been gone 

 through, there still remained about three inches of 

 water, and into this shallow pool we turned about 

 four dozen very small Prussian carp. The follow- 

 ing day a Kingfisher appeared, and continued to 

 visit the pond daily, until all, or nearly all, the little 



