274 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



for bright- coloured birds as ornaments for their hats, 

 and also by the more regular demands of fishing- 

 tackle makers; the gamekeeper also occasionally 

 makes an onslaught on this bird, as he considers it 

 destructive to his trout ; the birdstuffer may also be 

 numbered as one of the enemies of the Kingfisher, 

 as he can always make up a pretty case and get a 

 ready sale for so bright and beautiful a bird ; but in 

 spite of all these enemies the Kingfisher may still 

 be seen darting, like an animated blue light, from 

 one fishing-station to another, or sitting patiently on 

 some branch or rock overhanging the water till his 

 food comes within reach of his pounce, when he 

 drops on it with almost unerring aim. 



The food of the Kingfisher consists mostly of 

 small fish, such as minnows, loaches, sticklebacks, 

 and perhaps occasionally young trout and battle- 

 heads, which latter sometimes prove fatal to the poor 

 Kingfisher, as the big head of that fish has been 

 known to stick in its throat and choke it ; * leaches 

 and water beetles also form part of its food. On the 

 sea- coast it feeds on the small fish that are left by 

 the receding tide in the natural aquariums in the 

 rocks, and in calm weather on any fish it can sur- 



* I once found an eel which had been choked in the 

 same way : when I found it, it was quite dead, and the tail of 

 the battle-head was sticking out of its mouth, the head being 

 firmly fixed in its throat. 



