136 INSESSORES. ALCEDO. Kings-Fisher. 



COMMON KINGS-FISHER. 



Alcedo Ispida, Linn. 

 PLATE XL. Fig. \. 



Alcedo Ispida, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 179- 3 — Gmel. Syst. p. 448. sp. 3 — Lath. 



Ind. Oinith. v. 1. p. 252. sp. 2Q.—Rau Syn. p. 48. A. 1 — Will. p. 101. 



t. 24— 5ms. 4. p. 471. 1. 

 Gracula Atthis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 398. sp. 8.— Lath. Ind. Ornith. v. 1. p. 192. 



sp. 10. 

 Ispida Senegalensis, Briss. 4. p. 485. ?• t. 39. f. 1. 

 Le Martin Pecheur, Buff. Ois. v. 7- p- 164. t. 9. 

 Le Eaboucard, /rf. v. 7- P- 193.— /rf. PI. Enl. 77. 

 Martin Peclieur Alcyon, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. v. I. p. 423. 

 Gemeine Eis Vtigel, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. v. 2. p. 1106.— il/eyer, Tasschenb. 



Deut. V. 1. p. 134,— FmcA, t. 223. 

 King's-Fisher, Br.Zool. 1. No. 88. t. 38.— Arct. Zool. 2. p. 280. A Albin, 



1. t. 54 Will. (Ang.) p. 146. t. 24 — Lath. Syn. 2. p. 626. 16 — Id. Sup. 



p. 115 Leu'in's Br. Birds, 2. t 52 il/o/j/. Ornith. Diet.— Id. Sup 



Bewick's Br. Birds, v. 2. t. 19 — Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 6 — Wale. Syn. 1. 



t. 52 Don,Br. Birds, 4. t. 100 Shaw's Zool 8. p. 88. 



This splendid little bird is indigenous in Britain, and, in 

 point of locality, is rather generally, though sparingly, dif- 

 fused. It inhabits the banks of clear rivers and brooks, 

 preferring those that flow with an easy current, and whose 

 beds are margined with willows, alders, or close bushes. It 

 is usually seen perched upon a small bough overhanging the 

 stream, from whence it darts upon the small fish and aquatic 

 Food. insects that form its food. 



Sometimes it will hover suspended (in the manner of the 

 Kestrel and some other Hawks) over the water, and precipi- 

 tate itself upon its prey, when risen to the surface. Upon 

 making a capture, it conveys the object to land, and, after 

 beating it to death upon a stone, or on the ground, swallows 

 it whole. The bones and other indigestible parts are after- 

 wards ejected in small pellets, by the mouth. — Its flight is 

 very rapid, and sustained by a quickly repeated motion of 

 the wings, and is always in a straight and horizontal direc- 

 tion, near to the surface of the water. These birds breed in 



