82 PASSERES. ALCEDINID^. 



emerges from the wave, and returns to liis former 

 station to swallow it. It is a very shy and recluse 

 bird ; I have found scarcely any more difficult of 

 approach : the posts of observation which he chooses 

 are mostly such as command a wide view; and it 

 is very wary; long before the gunner can creep 

 within shot, the bird takes alarm, and darts away 

 to a distant tree. Often as it sits watching, and 

 sometimes at the moment of flying, it utters a loud 

 rattling ckurr. 



Though in general a solitary bird, it is not un- 

 usual to observe two playing together, chasing each 

 other from tree to tree. A pair which I obtained 

 soon after their autumnal appearance, were thus 

 engaged. I watched them a long while, endeavour- 

 ing to get a shot at them, but owing to their wari- 

 ness, was long unsuccessful. They took a wide 

 round, including, as alighting places, three high 

 cotton-trees, one or two mangroves, and a sea-grape, 

 returning to these in succession, though not with 

 perfect regularity. As they flew they called to 

 each other, with the usual harsh cry; now and 

 then they paused to mark the shoals of small fishes 

 that were swimming beneath, and plunged down upon 

 them; and I noticed that at such times the bird 

 went wholly under water. Once both birds seized 

 the same fish, nearly at the same moment, and rising 

 with it into the air, each tugged in contrary direc- 

 tions, until the grasp of one gave way. At last 

 my assistant, Sam, taking advantage of a dense 

 and matted withe near one of the alighting trees, 

 concealed himself in it, whence he shot them both. 



