448 ALCEDINIDJJ. 



The young seem to be driven away by their parents towards 

 the end of summer, but at any rate at that season and later 

 in the year, they are observed far from where they have been 

 bred, and would appear to make their \vay gradually to the 

 coast, whence most of them probably leave the country.* 

 The old birds on the contrary are resident throughout the 

 year, unless forced to quit their haunts by the freezing of 

 the inland waters, which cuts off their supply of food. Under 

 the stress of hunger they will sometimes resort to human 

 dwellings, and share with other birds such hospitality as 

 may be there afforded ; but very many starve, as is proved 

 by the numbers found dead in and after a prolonged frost. 

 The more fortunate, if there be no open water left within 

 their ordinary range, are those that succeed in reaching tidal 

 rivers or the coast, where they frequent the shallows and 

 rock-pools, which usually abound in small crustaceans and 

 often contain little fishes. * In such places, at low water 

 and in calm weather, the Kingfisher fares well throughout a 

 severe winter; but wretched is its fate should it fail to find 

 such a refuge, and even continuous winds, by ruffling the 

 surface of the sea, may make the capture of prey difficult if 

 not impossible. 



An account of this bird would be incomplete without 

 reference to the very ancient fables told of it, especially since 

 some of them find a place in the works of several of our 

 most esteemed poets, and possibly credence yet among the 

 uneducated ; but want of space forbids the subject being 

 here fully treated, and it must suffice to do little more than 

 briefly quote certain passages cited by Pennant, and by Mr. 

 Fennell (Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1836, pp. 127-129) ; 

 premising a knowledge of the classical story of Alcyone or 

 Halcyone and Ceyx, who were changed into Kingfishers 

 birds that bred, it was said, at the period of the winter 

 solstice, during which time the weather remained so calm 

 that the mariner might put to sea without fear of tempest 



* Their migration seems to have been first noticed by a correspondent of 

 London's (Mag. Nat. Hist. i. p. 23) whom the present Editor, in spite of the 

 misleading signature, suspects to have been Mr. Yarrell himself. 



