THE brightest gem of British bird- 

 Hfe, the Skybkie Kingfisher, is the 

 first, though in several particulars 

 an aberrant, representative of the Fisst- 

 rostres, the third and last tribe of the 

 perching, or Sparrow-like birds. They 

 obtain their Latin name from the fact that 

 they are wide-gaped — and in the Swallow 

 family especiaUy the mouth is deeply 

 cleft — admitting of wide expansion, in 

 order to enable them the more easily to 

 take their insect prey whilst on the wing. 

 In the Nightjars the wide gape is sur- 

 rounded with bristles pointing outwards 

 for the entanglement and capture of 

 night- flying 

 moths and 

 beetles. The 

 tropically clad 

 Kingfisher — a 

 rather 1 o n g - 

 beaked, short- 

 tailed bird, 

 about half as 

 big again as a 

 Sparrow, with 

 azure blue up- 

 per parts, duU 

 brick red be- 

 low, and red 

 brown legs 

 and feet — is 

 one of the pre- 

 eminently un- 

 mi s t akable 

 birds of the 

 waterside; not 

 perhaps really 

 common any- 

 where, but 

 widely distrit> 

 uted. Shy and 

 retiring in its 



habits, it haunts for preference slowly 

 flowing streams, from which it secures 

 small fish, water beetles, and crustaceans. 

 It loves to perch motionless upon an 

 overhanging bough (preferably upon a 

 dead branch, as this gives an uninterrupted 

 view), whence it suddenly plunges upon 

 its passing prey, generally returning im- 

 mediately to its previous resting-place, 

 with the captured fish held crosswise in 

 its beak. The captive, after being merci- 

 fully tapped a time or two, perhaps, upon 

 the wood, is swiftly swallowed head first. 

 When disturbed the Kingfisher darts 

 off with straight and rapid flight ; 



Kl.Nul iSllIiK. 



/•/i.'f.xrii//! A> C. Kn.i. //j'/urr. X H. 



339 



