KINGFISHER 



hovers over the water for a moment or two, his rapidly vibrating 

 wings throwing off the most brilliant colours of green and blue, 

 and then with a loud splash he is under the water. A second or 

 two later he reappears and flies straight to his perch with a 

 bright, wriggling fish held tight in his strong beak. He works 

 this about until he is able to obtain a firm grip of the fish's tail, 

 then lifting his own, he brings his captive's head down on to the 

 perch with a thud ; again and again this is done, until the fish is 

 limp and almost lifeless. Once more he tosses his head, and this 

 time his prey is thrown up for a few inches, and the clever little 

 fisher catches it head first, then with a few violent gulps it 

 disappears down his capacious throat. It is always caught head 

 first, and, if my readers will take the trouble to pass their finger 

 along a fish from tail to head, they will understand that it would 

 be almost impossible for any bird to swallow a fish tail first. 



One could sit for hours on a stream bank and almost write a 

 book on the many and varied incidents seen, for birds and wild 

 creatures of all kinds seem to love such haunts. I have some- 

 times had Kingfishers, as my close companions, sitting on dock 

 stems or branches within a few inches of my person ; many species 

 of birds, too, have come round me and splashed in the clear 

 water ; wood-pigeons with loud flappings of their great wings have 

 settled close and drunk long draughts ; weasels and squirrels have 

 passed over my feet ; and mice and shrews have had gambols on 

 the grass stems where with a movement of my hands I could 

 have caught them. Just sit still, and Nature will lift her veil and 

 reveal a world of wonder and beauty beyond. 



Owing perhaps to his very brilliant plumage, the Sparrow 

 Hawk seems attracted to the Kingfisher. As he flies in a 

 straight line over the broad stream he must look an easy prey to 

 this dashing and bold Hawk. But when the latter attempts to 

 capture the king of fishers he finds the task is not an easy one. 



65 N 



