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126 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
HIS 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 
term. 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. Iam 
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 1,5, in length by 1,4 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 
Sadia, a 
