ORDER PASSERES. 427 



The flight of the kingfisher is extremely rapid, a fact so much 

 the more remarkable as the wings are very small in proportion 

 to the body, and must, therefore, be furnished with very 

 powerful muscles. Destined to live by the destruction of 

 other beings, its leading habits are patience, perseverance, and 

 ferocity. Perched on a slight branch overhanging a stream, 

 the kingfisher will remain a great length of time waiting the 

 uncertain passage of its prey beneath: or, moving rapidly along 

 the bank from one little elevation to another, it is more 

 actively, but not more abstractedly, occupied in the same pre- 

 dacious avocation. The eagerness and impetuosity with 

 which it darts under the water in pursuit of its finny prey 

 are excessive ; and it is remarked, that, in order to give a 

 greater impetus to its descent, the kingfisher first mounts a 

 few feet immediately over the spot where it is about to dive ; 

 and that this preliminary ascent is always proportioned to the 

 size of the fish about to be attacked. At other times, this 

 bird will skim rapidly along the surface of the water, uttering 

 a sharp cry, and seizing such small fish as may thus come 

 within its power. The kingfisher, unlike some other ichthy- 

 ophagous birds, does not swallow the fish whole, but carrying 

 it on land, breaks and tears it by means of its strong bill. 

 Severe winters are frequently very destructive to these birds, 

 when the frozen surface of the waters shuts up the finny race 

 from their attacks. 



These birds begin the affair of propagation about the 

 middle of March. The female deposits from six to eight 

 white eggs, almost without a nest, in some rat-hole in a river 

 bank. It does not appear to be ascertained whether she has 

 more than one brood in a season. 



It is extremely difficult, or, rather, it is impossible, to pre- 

 serve the kingfisher in confinement ; for though it should be 

 fed daily with fresh fish, and attended to with the greatest 

 care, it seems never to survive any length of time in captivity ; 



