296 Haley onidce. 



upon small fishes and insects, the former of which they procure 

 by darting down upon them from some elevated place as they 

 rise to the surface of the water, and the latter by pouncing upon 

 them in their flight ; their feet, like others of this tribe, are small 

 and feeble, their beak is straight and pointed, and their flight 

 is rapid. 



114. KINGFISHER (Alcedo ispida) . 



The gorgeous colours of this, the most beautiful of all our 

 British birds, defy description ; there is on the upper parts such a 

 mixture of the brightest blue with the most vivid green, and 

 these colours blend with one another and are reflected with such 

 marvellous brilliancy and with such metallic lustre, that they must 

 be seen to be duly appreciated ; all the under-plumage is of a reddish 

 orange. The Kingfisher is not uncommon wherever there is a 

 stream ; indeed, for lack of a river, or brook, I have known it 

 haunt the foul sluggish watercourse of a long line of water 

 meadows, and even a stagnant pond in a cow yard at Old Park,* at 

 least a quarter of a mile away from any running water, but where, 

 year after year, it frequented the same hole for breeding purposes, 

 though the pond was constantly resorted to by a large herd of 

 cows, and hard by was the dairy farm, and its many buildings, and 

 far more dangerous its many boys and men in attendance on 

 the cattle ; yet, strange to say, this bird of such attractive plumage 

 somehow escaped general observation, and for several years, to 

 my certain knowledge, contrived to lead out its young in safety. 

 There has been much discussion amongst ornithologists as to 

 whether the Kingfisher makes any nest, and if so, of what 

 material, previous to depositing her eggs in the hole which she 

 has prepared for her nursery ; but it is now generally admitted that 

 the indigestible portion of the food which she casts up in pellets, 

 composed of the bones of small fishes, is the sole material of the 

 nest. The name hispida is said by the compilers of the B.O.U. 



I once pointed out this strange locality for a Kingfisher's nest to Pro- 

 fessor Newton, who has thought it worthy of mention in his edition of 

 Yarrell. See fourth edition, vol. ii., p. 445. 



