THE COMMON KINGFISHER. 83 



the breast, upper part of the belly and sides, are covered 

 with soft silky feathers, of a beautiful deep green ; the feathers 

 on the top of the head gradually lengthen into a large tri- 

 angular tuft, which the bird raises at will, and the tip of which 

 is red. The green in the tuft is sometimes mixed with 

 white. 



OBSERVATIONS. The Tourako, which I have seen, belonging to his 

 Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, is one of the most elegant, mildest, 

 and tamest of all foreign birds which I know. Its cry is couc, couc, couc, 

 at first repeated slowly and distinctly, afterwards more quickly, and then 

 in a rapid and continued succession. Notwithstanding the form of its feet it 

 does not climb' or hop, but runs as quickly as any partridge across the room, 

 and often, pressing its wings against its body, makes several long leaps of 

 ten feet. 



FOOD. The tongue is not perceptible on opening its beak, and it swallows 

 every thing whole which is given it. It is fed on fruit and bread cut in 

 small pieces ; it has been remarked that it has a crop. 



Buffon says, that one of these birds, which came from the Cape, ate rice ; 

 but that which I have seen would not touch it ; on the contrary, it ate 

 with avidity the stones of grapes, as well as bits of apple and orange; so 

 that it may be concluded that fruit is its natural food. It is brought from 

 Guinea, but may be found in other parts of Africa. 



THE COMMON KINGFISHER. 



Alcedo Ispida, LINN.EUS ; L' Alcyon, ou Martin Pecheur, BCFFON ; Der Eisvogel, 

 BECHSTEIN. 



THE length of this bird is seven inches, of which the short 

 tail only measures one and a quarter, the legs are very short, 

 being only four lines in height, and the outer claw is united to 

 the centre one, as far as the first joint. The beak, an inch and 

 a half in length, is strong, straight and pointed. The iris is 

 dark brown ; the top of the head and the wing-coverts are of a 

 deep green ; the one with transverse and the other with oval 

 spots of a beautiful sky blue. The back and shoulders ehine 

 with the most beautiful blue. In the female the colours are 

 darker, and the sky blue there is hi them only meadow green. 



HABITATION. When wild this is a solitary bird, which remains the 

 whole year on the edges of ponds, streams, and rivers. During the winter 

 it may be seen watching for its prey at the holes in the ice, placed on a stone 

 or stick, or perched on the branch of a tree. 

 G2 



