306 THE BIRDS 



the water, or sit motionless on a projecting bough or stone watching 

 for prey. Then with a sudden plunge they dive in after a fish, 

 and bringing it back to their perch, usually give it two or three 

 smart blows on the bough before swallowing it with a gulp. Insects 

 and small crustaceans also enter into their diet, and this is more 

 particularly the case in certain species that seek the seashore in the 

 winter months. The Wood- Kingfishers frequent woods and forests, 

 and are not particular about being near water, their food consisting 

 of insects caught on the wing, caterpillars, molluscs, worms, and 

 reptiles ; some of the larger species will even eat small mammals 

 and birds, after bruising them in the manner peculiar to their 

 family before swallowing them whole. 



The most usual colouring is a combination of green, blue, and 

 chestnut, but a few of the large crested species are black and white, 

 others are almost entirely red, some are almost wholly white with 

 touches of bright blue or red, and some have orange and beautiful 

 lilac tints. 



The " Laughing Jackass " (Dacelo gigas) of Australia, dis- 

 tinguished by the extraordinary loud laughing sound to which it 

 gives utterance, is one of the largest of the Kingfisher tribe, and 

 measures nearly a foot in length. It is more sombre in hue than 

 many of its allies, being chiefly brown, relieved with a white stripe 

 on each side of the head and some red in the tail. The Fawn-breasted 

 Kingfisher, another Australian species, is a smaller bird somewhat 

 similar in colouring. The British native Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida) 

 is one of the most beautiful members of the family, its plumage of 

 bright blue relieved with blue-green, white, and orange-red rivalling 

 that of many of the tropic birds in brilliancy. It is the most gaily 

 coloured of all British birds, and may be seen a flash of glittering 

 blue darting over the water close by the banks of many an English 

 stream. In many districts, unfortunately, this beautiful bird is 

 much less frequent than it used to be, while in some spots it has 

 altogether disappeared, owing chiefly to the thoughtlessness of 

 collectors and the extraordinary propensity shown by so many 

 sportsmen for shooting every rare and beautiful bird on sight. 

 As the Kingfisher is now a " protected " bird it is to be hoped it 

 may escape the fate of extermination that has overtaken so many 

 beautiful and interesting birds in Britain. 



The Owls (Strigida) are grouped near the diurnal birds of prey 



