308 UNSOCIABILITY. [CHAP. v. 



never observed them to do so in captivity, though, as 

 before mentioned, they have resorted to the meat of the 

 Hawk. Frequently have I observed them hawking or 

 rather hovering for several minutes over the fountain, 

 watching for food, and then suddenly dash to the bottom 

 and rise again with the fish, and very seldom indeed 

 miss their aim. It is said the fish are dazzled by the 

 brightness of their plumage, but this cannot be ; the 

 dazzling portion being above, and the reddish-brown 

 beneath, which only could be observed by the fish 

 underneath, if the fish are observers. 



" I am here reminded of a large Heron that I kept 

 in this same aviary, which I used to feed on fresh 

 herrings by throwing into the fountain half-a-dozen or 

 so, which he would in a very short time devour. I 

 then had seven Kingfishers, but I found one morning 

 (I suppose I had not been sufficiently early with the 

 herrings) one of my Kingfishers missing and nowhere 

 to be found ; the next morning another was gone, and in 

 a day or two another. I never suspected the Heron, but 

 while watching him one day I found in his dejection a 

 quantity of feathers undigested, which upon a nearer 

 view I discovered to be those of the Kingfishers ; so 

 without more ado I packed Mr. Heron off in a hamper 

 to the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park, where he 

 was left and his character together." 



Mr. Rayner's observations of the selfish and jealous 

 disposition of these birds as they approach the adult 

 .state, demonstrates the impossibility of keeping a 

 multitude of them in captivity, so as to form a closely 

 crowded constellation of ornithological stars. What- 

 ever we do, the strongest will persecute the weakest to 

 death. " Depart, and make room for me ! " is an innate 



