THE KINGFISHER 185 



down his head to watch eagerly what is going on 

 under the surface ; then, quick as a flash, he disap- 

 pears, a splash in the water showing the spot where 

 he d''ved. In a second he rises with his prey, but 

 instead of flying straight to a perch, a. flight round 

 above the water is made, the fish being swallowed 

 meanwhile. Returning to a perch, the Kingfisher 

 now continues preening his gay feathers, the 

 plumage as it is ruffled seeming to change colour, 

 now being a vivid green, then becoming a brilliant 

 blue, still changing yet again to another tint of 

 green ; and so this pleasing scene goes on until a 

 Blackbird, on spying us, loudly calls his notes of 

 alarm and frightens the Kingfisher away. In 

 passing like a flash, the bright-coloured bird seems 

 almost to leave a train of azure blue in its track, so 

 bright are the colours in the sunbeams. 



While engaged in writing a portion of these 

 notes, seated on the banks of our Brook on a quiet 

 summer afternoon, I was startled by a loud splash 

 in the water* beneath, and looking down to learn 

 what had happened I spied a Kingfisher just 

 leaving the water with a small fish. This was 

 swallowed, as is often the case, while fluttering 

 above the water ; but while so doing, to my great 

 surprise the bird flew directly towards me, and, 

 judging by its very brilliant plumage, I conjectured 



