164 THE KINGFISHER. 



BTJFFON says, that one of these birds, which came from the 

 Cape, ate rice ; but the one on which I tried the experiment 

 rejected it, though greedily eating grape stones, and pieces of 

 apple, and orange : this seems to shew that fruit is its natural 

 food. 



The Tourako is brought from Guinea, but is found in several 

 other parts of Africa. 



EUROPEAN BIRDS TAMEABLE WHEN YOUNG. 



63. THE KINGFISHER. 

 Alcedo Fspida, LIN. Martin-pecheur ou Alcyon, BUF. Der Eisvogel, BECH. 



Description. This very handsome bird, which, however, 

 rarely becomes accustomed to the air and food of the aviary, is 

 seven inches in length, of which the tail measures one inch and a 

 quarter ; the feet which are adapted for walking, as the outer 

 is united with the centre claw as far as the first joint, are 

 reddish, and four lines in height. The beak is one inch and a 

 half in length, strong, straight, somewhat compressed at the 

 sides, and pointed ; horn-brown outside, and inside saffron- 

 coloured. The iris is dark brown ; the top of the head and 

 wing-coverts are dark green ; the first being transversely spotted 

 with blue, and the latter covered with egg-shaped spots of the 

 same colour. A broad orange stripe runs from the nostrils to 

 the back of the eyes, and behind the ears is a large white spot. 

 From the lower corner of the beak to the neck runs a broad 

 streak of the same colour as the top of the head ; the shoulders 

 and back are bright blue ; the throat reddish white ; the rest 

 of the lower part of the body is a dirty orange, somewhat 

 lighter on the belly. The pen feathers are blackish, but blue- 

 ish green on the narrower plume ; the tail dark blue on the 

 upper side, and blackish below. 



In the female the colours are darker, and the bright blue 

 tinge is supplanted by grass green. 



Habitat. The Kingfisher is a solitary bird, frequenting 

 pools, brooks, and rivers, throughout the year. It perches in 

 winter on a twig or stone, near some hole in the ice, and 

 watches for its prey. 



In confinement it neither walks nor hops, but either flies or 

 remains for a long time perched on one spot. On this account 



