THE NIGHTJARS, BEE-EATERS & KINGFISHERS. 47 



with the only Kingfisher found in England. It used 

 to be regarded as a distinct species, chiefly because it 

 grows to a larger size in a cold climate ; but so does 

 man. It is a little bird, about the size of a sparrow, 

 which sits on twigs, or stones, beside all waters, 

 pointing its long, sharp, black beak this way and 

 that way, as it scans the pools, and jerking its pert 

 little tail. When it sees a chance, it takes it in- 

 stantly, popping obliquely into the water and snap- 

 ping up the fish with its little forceps in a trice. 

 When it emerges, the fish is across its beak, in 

 which position it cannot be swallowed ; so the 

 bird alights on a stone and knocks the slippery 

 morsel about in a business-like way until it gets 

 hold of it endways with the head pointing throat- 

 wards. Then the fish disappears suddenly. The Com- 

 mon Kingfisher lives almost exclusively on fishes from 

 one to two inches in length, and wherever these are 

 to be found you will find it. There are usually a 

 pair together, which have their own preserves and 

 drive off every intruder. They fly from pool to pool, 

 straight and swiftly, just above the surface of the 

 water, answering to each other in shrill chirps. They 

 lay five, six, or even seven, eggs, in a hole in a 

 bank, which they dig for themselves. From March 

 till June is the season. The Common Kingfisher is 

 a lovely bird, though less dazzling than the last 

 species. The head is dusky, speckled with blue, the 

 rest of the* upper parts are blue, or greenish blue, 

 brightest on the back, and the whole of the under- 

 parts are the colour of bright rust. There is a strik- 

 ing crescent-shaped patch of pure white on each side 

 of the neck, 



