432 



PASSERINE BIRDS. 



wasps and bees, which it seizes while on the wing. It constructs its 

 nest on the precipitous banks of streams and large rivers, digging to 

 a considerable depth. 



FlG. 360. BEK-EATKR. 



The Kingfishers (Alcedo} have a quadrangular beak, which is 

 long, straight, pointed, and trenchant ; their legs are short and bare 

 to above the knees. The only species found in Europe is the Alcedo 

 ispida, a beautiful bird. His plumage is green and black above, with 

 a stripe of red beneath, and a riband of the same colour on each side 

 of the neck. His delight is to dwell amidst the most sequestered 

 scenes on the borders of rivers and streams abounding in small fish 

 and insects, upon which he feeds. On the broken or rocky bank of 

 his aquatic retreat he may be frequently seen perched on some pro- 

 jecting bough, scrutinizing the waters for his expected prey ; if un- 

 successful, he comes along the stream just above the surface, and 

 occasionally hovers for an instant with rapidly-moving wings over 

 the spot where he perceives his gliding quarry ; in the next instant, 

 with a swift spiral sweep, he seizes a fish, which he swallows in an 

 instant. 



