Kingfisher. 299 



they are becoming very scarce at Clyffe Pypard and Hilmarton, I 

 learn from the Right Honourable E. P. Bouverie that they are still 

 fairly common at Market-Lavington; and if I hear from Lord 

 Arimdell that they are become more scarce at Wardour, I am told 

 by the Rev. C. F. Cooke that they are frequently seen darting over 

 the Avon at Enford. It is surprising that it should be so, for, 

 perhaps, no British bird has suffered more than the Kingfisher 

 from that most cruel and barbarous fashion which cannot be too 

 loudly condemned, and which I am sure without thought of the 

 consequences was adopted some years since by English ladies, 

 of wearing gay-coloured birds, or wings of birds, in their hats, and 

 which bids fair to exterminate altogether some of the species of 

 most brilliant plumage. We in England, doubtless, give a royal 

 title to this bird on account of the splendour of its plumage, just as 

 we name the magnificent species of Eider, 'The King Eider,' and the 

 brilliant Goldcrest is dubbed Regulus. In Germany it is Gemeine 

 Eisvogel, Common Ice-bird ; in Portugal, Pica-peixe, ' Seizer of 

 Fish ;' and Guardarios, ' River Watchman ;' but in France it is 

 Martin Pecheur, and in Spain Martin Pescador, ' Fisherman of S. 

 Martin.' This is in reality a nick-name, like Robin Redbreast, 

 Jenny Wren, Jack Daw, etc., but the Oiseau de S. Martin is 

 really the ringtail, or the hen-harrier. Alcedo is classical Latin 

 for a ' Kingfisher,' taken from the Greek d 



HIRUNDINIM: (THE SWALLOWS). 



This family certainly contains the most conspicuous of our 

 summer birds, and with their first appearance we are accustomed 

 to associate the departure of winter and the approach of summer, 

 and therefore we are naturally predisposed in their favour : but 

 not only do we welcome them as heralds of spring and harbingers 

 of sunshine; in addition to this, all their movements are so 

 graceful, they are so essentially birds of the air, seldom touching 

 the earth, but careering all day long under the bright blue sky 

 and through the lofty pathways of the air, that they engage our 

 particular admiration and interest : if we stand still to watch one 

 of these birds in its course, see with what arrowy speed it darts 



