BIRDS. iSl 



bat, being made hollow, they swim on the surface of the water ; 

 and on one pool tnere may sometimes be seen twenty or thirty 

 of these gourds floating together. The fowl at first are a little 

 shy of coming near them ; but by degrees they come nearer ; 

 and as all birds at last grow familiar with a scare- crow, the ducks 

 gather about these, and amuse themselves by whetting their bills 

 against them. When the birds are as familiar with the gourds 

 as the fowler could wish, be then prepares to deceive them in 

 good earnest. He hollows out one of these gourds large enough 

 to put his head in ; and making holes to breathe and see through, 

 he claps it on his head. Thus accoutred, he wades slowly into 

 the water, keeping his body under, and nothing but his head in 

 the gourd above the surface ; and in that manner moves imper- 

 ceptibly towards the fowls, who suspect no danger. At last, 

 however, he fairly gets in among them ; while they, having been 

 long used to see gourds, take not the least fright while the ene- 

 my is in the very midst of them : and an insidious enemy he is ; 

 for ever as he approaches a fowl, he seizes it by the legs, and 

 draws it in a jerk under water. There he fastens it under his 

 girdle, and goes to the next, till he has thus loaded himself with 

 as many as he can cany away. When he has got his quantity, 

 without ever attempting to disturb the rest of the fowls on the 

 pool, he slowly moves off again ; and in this manner pays the 

 flock three or four "visits in a day. Of all the various artifices 

 for catching fowl, this seems likely to be attended with the great- 

 est success, as it is the most practised in China. 



CHAP. XIII. 



OF THE KING-FISHER.* 



I WILL conclude this history of, birds with one that seems Jo 

 unite in itself somewhat of every class preceding. It seems at 

 once possessed of appetites for prey like the rapacious kuids, 

 with an attachment to water like the birds of that element. It 



♦ There are n<> less than forty-two species of kingfishers, and of some of 

 these several vuriolies ; aiiJ all of them have tlie most beautiful auii varic 

 {fated plumage. 



