SOME BIRD NOTABILITIES 229 



in fact, that a dead kingfisher indoors was just 

 as good as a weathercock outside. Another 

 story told how the kingfisher was supposed to 

 have got its beautiful colours, so much more 

 brilliant than those of any other bird in our 

 climate. This tale said that when the dove 

 which Noah sent out from the ark returned 

 without finding land, Noah sent out the king- 

 fisher, which was then an ordinary-looking 

 grey bird, no doubt thinking that being so 

 used to water it would find its way about 

 better. But the kingfisher, which was very 

 tired of the ark, did not trouble itself with 

 looking for land, but flew up high, so high 

 that its back was dyed deep with the blue of 

 heaven, and its breast scorched to a chestnut 

 colour by the glare of the sun. Then it began 

 to think of coming back ; but it had been 

 away so long that the dove had been sent out 

 and returned again, the flood had gone down, 

 Noah had sent out all the beasts and birds, 

 and had left the ark and broken it up. So 

 the kingfisher could not find its home again, 

 and to this day it follows the brooks and 

 rivers and shore, trying to find Noah's ark ! 

 So much for the wav a beautiful bird is 



