374 THE KINGFISHER. 



fisher is precisely that of the land bird, and, of course, some parts of 

 the skin are bare of feathers ; while the whole body is deprived of that 

 thick coat of down so remarkable in those birds which are classed 

 under the denomination of water-fowl. Its feet are not webbed ; its 

 breast is formed like that of land birds ; and its legs are ill calculated 

 to enable it to walk into the water. Thus we see that it can neither 

 swim with the duck, nor dive with the merganser, nor wade with the 

 heron. Its act of immersion in the water is quite momentary, and 

 bears no similarity to the immersion of those water-fowl which can 

 pursue their prey under the surface, and persevere for a certain length 

 of time, till they lay hold of it. Still the mode of taking its food is 

 similar to that of the gulls, which first see the fish, and then plunge 

 into the deep to obtain it ; but this bird differs from the gull in every 

 other habit. 



You observe the kingfisher sitting on a rock, or upon the branch 

 of a tree, or hovering over the water ; and the moment a fish is seen 

 in the stream below, it drops down upon it like a falling stone. If it 

 miss the mark, which is rarely the case, it comes up again immediately, 

 without further exertion in the water, and then flies off, or occasionally 

 regains its former station in order to make another plunge. As this 

 process of immersion is of very short duration, the bird is enabled to 

 escape with impunity from the deep, in which, or on which, were it 

 to remain for a very little time, death would inevitably be its fate. 



These undeniable circumstances have induced me to wish for the 

 restoration of the kingfisher to its former situation amongst the land 

 birds ; for I feel reluctant to admit that the single act of procuring its 

 food from the water should be thought a sufficient reason for removing 

 it from its old associates, and placing it amongst strangers, with whom 

 it can neither dive nor swim, nor even float with any chance of safety. 

 If the kingfisher is to be considered a water bird merely because 

 it draws its sustenance from the water, then our modern innovators 

 ought to consider the osprey in the same light : and even the barn 

 owl might give them a hint that she feels inclined to seek a new 

 acquaintance ; for I myself have seen her plunge into the water, bring 

 out a fish, and convey it to her nest. Indeed, the swallow, with a 

 still better grace, might ask permission to form a new division, distant 

 both from land and water birds, and call it ethereal, because it pro- 



