84 THE COMMON KINGFISHER, 



In the house it does not walk or hop, but flies or remains perched. It 

 is very necessary to put some turf or branches in a corner, or it must be 

 kept in a cage with a perch ; it constantly remains in the same place. 



Food. — In its wild state iis food is small fish, leeches, and, indeed, all 

 aquatic worms and insects. In the house it must be given as much as 

 possible the same, accustoming it by degrees to eat meat. It is very 

 rarely that those taken when old can be preserved, I iiave seen one, 

 however, Avhich ate even dead fish. The meat and small fish for its food 

 must be put into a bowl of fresh water, large enough, or so firmly fixed, 

 that it may not be easily overturned. When taking its food it does not 

 hop to the bottom of the cage, but stretches itself downwards till it can 

 reach the water •with its beak, at least if it be not a young one reared in the 

 house. — It will not eat while being looked at. 



Mr. Paxton's method of management. — "Having become possessed," 

 says Mr. Paxton, " of some young kingfishers last summer, we were very 

 anxious to rear them; this we have accomphshed, and, to the best of our 

 information, it is the first time kingfishers were ever reared by hand. To 

 accomplish this object we had a wire cage constructed about ten ftet long, 

 and four broad ; the back part of the cage was made to imitate, as nearly 

 as possible, the banks of a river; — through this cage a small stream of 

 water was conducted, in which the birds received their food, &c. When 

 the young birds were first taken from the nest, minnows and buUlieads were 

 the r principal food ; they have since been fed on almost every species of 

 fresh-water fish, although they evince a marked preference for trout. 



" Immediately on a quantity of small fish being put into the stream of 

 water, they commence killing them, regardless of who may be near; and 

 so surely do they strike, that, although we have repeatedly observed them, 

 we never yet saw them miss their prey. As soon &3 they have caught a 

 fish they kill it, by knocking its head against anything that may be near 

 them. The quantity of fish consumed by each bird i9 almost incredible 

 — we should think on the average not less than six ounces a day each ; 

 they could not exist twenty-four hours witliout food, so they quickly digest 

 it. There can be no doubt that the sole reason of the kingfisher migrating 

 to the sea-side on the approach of severe weather, arises from the voracity 

 of its appetite. 



" They are quite tame and domesticated, frequently sitting on the head 

 or shculder of the person v,-ho is in the habit of cleaning out their little 

 dwelling. They are also very cleanly. We have observed them dive into 

 the water as many as forty times incessantly, for the purpose of washing 

 —this is generally done in the evening. 



" Although they appear satisfied with their confinement, they are far from 

 being friendly with each other ; they fight with their wings, something after the 

 manner of the swan ; this is rather surprising, as they are very dexterous 

 with their bills when seizing their prey. 



" W'e have tried to rear others in a common cage, feeding them partly on 

 flesh, but never succeeded." 



Breeding. — A hole at the edge of the water is the place in which it builds 

 its nest, which is formed on the outside of small roots, and lined with 



