THE KINGFISHER. 255 



Superstitious notions respecting this bird. 



brooks. At each pause it continues, as it were, 

 suspended at the height of fifteen or twenty feet; 

 and, when it would change its place, it sinks, 

 and skims along within a foot of the surface of 

 the water, then rises and halts again. This re- 

 peated and almost continual exercise shows that 

 the bird dives for many small objects, fishes or 

 insects, and often in vain ; for in this way it passes 

 over many a league. 



M. Gmelin, speaking of this bird, says, " the 

 kingfishers are seen all over Siberia; and their 

 feathers are employed by the Tartars and the 

 Ostiacs for many superstitious uses. The former 

 pluck them, cast them into water, and carefully 

 preserve such as float; and they pretend, that if 

 with one of these feathers they touch a woman, 

 or even her clothes, she must fall in love with 

 them. The Ostiacs take the skin, the bill, and 

 the claws, of this bird, and shut them in a purse; 

 and as long as they preserve this sort of amulet, 

 they believe that they have no ill to fear. The 

 person who taught me this means of living happy, 

 could not forbear shedding tears ; he told me that 

 the loss of a kingfisher's skin that he had, caused 

 him to lose also his wife and goods. I observed 

 that such a bird could not be very rare, since a 

 countryman of his had brought me one, with its 

 skin and feathers : he was much surprised, and 

 said that if he had the luck to find one he would 

 give it to no person." 



M. D'Aubenton kept these birds for several 



