WATER-FOWL. , 22; 



we do not speculate, because we know, with respect to our king-fisher, 

 that most of the facts are false. It may be alleged, indeed, with some 

 show of reason, that the halcyon of the ancients was a different bird 

 from our king-fisher ; it may be urged that many birds, especially on 

 the Indian ocean, build a floating nest upon the sea ; but still the his- 

 tory of the ancient halcyon is clogged with endless fable ; and it is 

 but an indifferent method to vindicate falsehood, by showing that a 

 part of the story is true. 



The king-fisher with which we are acquainted at present, has none 

 of those powers of allaying the storm, or building upon the waves ; it 

 is contented to make its nest on the banks of rivers, in such situa- 

 tions as pot to be affected by the rising of the stream. When it has 

 found a place for its purpose, it hollows out with its bill a hole abou 

 a yard deep ; or if it finds the deserted hole of a rat, or one caused by 

 the root of a tree decaying, it takes quiet possession. This hole it 

 enlarges at the bottom to a good size ; and, lining it with the down 

 of the willow, lays its eggs there without any farther preparation. 



Its nest, or rather hole, is very different from that described by the 

 ancients, by whom it is said to be made in the shape of a long-necked 

 gourd, of the bones of the sea-needle. The bones, indeed, are found 

 there in great quanties, as well as the scales of fishes ; but these are 

 the remains of the bird's food, and by no means brought there for the 

 purposes of warmth or convenience. The king-fisher, as Bellonius 

 says, feeds upon fish, but is incapable of digesting the bones and 

 scales, which he throws up again, as eagles and owls are seen to do a 

 part of their prey. These fill the bird's nest of course ; and, although 

 they seem as if designedly placed there, are only a kind of nuisance. 



In these holes, which, from the remains of fish brought there, are 

 very foetid, the king-fisher is often found with from five eggs to nine 

 These the female continues to hatch even though disturbed ; and 

 though the nest be robbed, she will again return and lay there. " I 

 have had one of those females brought me," says Reaumur, " which 

 was taken from her nest about three leagues from my house. After 

 admiring the beauty of her colours, I let her fly again, when the fond 

 creature was instantly seen to return back to the nest where she had 

 just before been made a captive. There, joining the male, she again 

 began to lay, though it was for the third time, and though the season 

 was very far advanced. At each time she had seven eggs. The 

 older the nest is, the greater quantity offish-bones and scales does it 

 contain : these are disposed without any order ; and sometimes take 

 up a good deal of room." 



The female begins to lay early in the season ; and excludes her 

 first brood about the beginning of April. The male, whose fidelity 

 exceeds even that of the turtle, brings her large provisions of fish while 

 she is thus employed ; and she, contrary to most other birds, is found 

 plump and fat at that season. The male, that used to twitter before 

 this, now enters the nest as quietly and as privately as possible. The 

 young ones are hatched at the expiration of twenty days ; but are seen 

 to differ as well in their size as in their beauty. 



As the ancients have had their fables concerning this bird, so have 

 the modern vulgar. It is an opinion generally received among them^ 

 that the flesh of the king-fisher will not corrupt, and that it will even 



