KINGFISHER. 209 



neighbouring branch, they may be known by their clamorous 

 twittering, greeting their parents as they pass, from Avhoni 

 they impatiently expect their supplies ; in a short time, how- 

 ever, they commence fishing for themselves, assuming at that 

 early age nearly the adult plumage. 



Young Kingfishers, if taken from the nest, are not diffi- 

 cult to rear ; they require a supply of small fish for a time, 

 but may afterwards be brought to do well on chopped beef. 

 If kept in an aviary of sufficient size to admit a large stone 

 trough, or tin bath, filled with clear water, in which they can 

 be supplied with live minnows, these birds make an interest- 

 ing display of their powers and mode of proceeding, and may 

 be kept in good health ; but are voracious feeders : the quan- 

 tity of minnows that a brood of young Kingfishers will con- 

 sume is quite extraordinary. Towards the end of autumn 

 these birds should be separated, or the strongest will be cer- 

 tain to kill the weaker ones, even to the last bird. This has 

 happened two seasons following to my friend Mr. William 

 Rayner of Uxbridge, who living within a short distance of 

 the river Colne is able to obtain Kingfishers as well as min- 

 nows, and whose aviary is seldom without living specimens of 

 both. 



The Kingfisher flies rapidly, with a very quick action of 

 his short wings, and is a difficult bird to shoot when in mo- 

 tion. It is said to have a shrill piping note, and is known to 

 quit inland waters on the approach of the frosts of winter, 

 visiting for a time the flat shores of the sea.* 



An account of the Kingfisher would be incomplete if left 

 without any reference to the powers attributed to this bird by 

 some of the older naturalists and poets ; and the following 

 brief notice is therefore condensed from the pages of Pennant, 

 and the more recently published observations of Mr. J. H. 

 Fennell on Sliakspeare''s knowledge of Natural History. 



* Magazine of Natural Histoiy, vol. i. p. 23. 

 VOL. II. P 



