KES'GFISITETJ. 



Elvers, streams, and brooks are the natural resort of tins 

 king of fishers, but I have known it to frequent a very small 

 pond in a field, about a mile from any running water; so 

 that the former are not its exclusive haunts. It may be 

 seen perched on some dry bough overhanging a stream, from 

 whence it glides off on perceiving the approach of an enemy, 

 or to procure its food, either by darting on it if passing 

 within reach, or, if otherwise, to seek it elsewhere. Not 

 unfrequently the sea shore is resorted to for the supply of 

 its wants, and this especially in the winter, not so much, as 

 I imagine, from its fluviatile resorts being frozen up, as pro- 

 bably from the fish having retired at that season into deeper 

 water, and the insects being in the chrysalis state. 



In the 'North Derbyshire Chronicle/ of February, 183S, 

 it is related 'On Saturday last, a Kingfisher, handsomely 

 feathered, was discovered with its claws frozen to the bough 

 of a tree, on the canal side near this town. It was quite 

 dead; and attached to each claw was a piece of ice.' 



It appears to be somewhat, locally, migratory at different 

 seasons of the year. 



It would seem that the Kingfisher may be kept in con- 

 finement if brought up from the nest, and if a sufficient 

 supply of its proper food can at all times be procured for it. 

 It is a solitary bird, seen, almost invariably, either in pairs 

 or singly. It is also described as being of a pugnacious 

 disposition; so that as it takes two parties to make a quarrel, 

 the peace is preserved by its habit of isolation. One of these 

 birds lias been known to alight on the fishing-rod of a 'brother 

 of the angle.' 



The flight of this bird is rapid, and the wings being short, 

 is sustained by their quickly-repeated beating. It is always 

 in a straight and horizontal direction, and, for the most part, 

 close above the surface of the water. The' liev. W. T. Bree, 

 of Allesley, has noticed how tenaciously it keeps in its flight 

 over water, as if it felt a greater security in so doing, or in 

 c;is<> of necessity, as he has suggested, to be able to submerge 

 itself, like the Wild Duck, out of sight. One which was 

 alarmed by his presence, and therefore could not have acted 

 as it did in search of food, went out of its way to follow 

 the windings of a series of brick-ponds. 



The food consists of water insects, Crustacea, mollusca, 

 leeches, and especially minnows, bleak, young gudgeons, dan-. 

 and other small fish, which it darts upon, generally with 



