PERCHING BIRDS. 231 



in holes of trees, or of rocks. The most remark- 

 able characteristic of this bird's appearance is 

 its crest, consisting of two rows of orange feathers, 

 tipped with black; usually falling backwards on 

 its neck, except when the bird is surprised or 

 irritated, and then it stands erect. 



The KINGFISHER, or HALCYON, rivalling, if not 

 exceeding, the beauty of the bee-eater in its 

 plumage, is also much more common. Most of us 

 may have seen it, shooting meteor-like across a 

 brook; a bright green line alone seeming to 

 mark its course. It has been compared to a gleam 

 of a broken rainbow, darting along near the sur- 

 face of the waters ; and indeed, one is almost at a 

 loss whether to think it a meteor or a bird, and 

 when seen, as it perches on some slender twig 

 overhanging the water, it resembles the gay flower 

 of a rare and curious water-plant. 



.This bird fishes wholly by the sight; and as 

 his prey is small, he requires to see it very clearly ; 

 hence, it is only at particular spots, and in peculiar 

 states of weather, that he can carry on his opera- 

 tions with success. The water must be clear and 

 smooth, the atmosphere most transparent, and the 

 surface of the brook glassy. These are genuine 

 " halcyon days," on which the kingfisher is out and 

 active ; and hence the wondrous powers ascribed 

 to this bird by the older naturalists and poets, 



