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England, but in consequence of its shy habits and rapid flight is 

 not often well observed except as a passing flash of bright blue. 

 In April the bird makes a hole in a bank, or uses one already made, 

 and makes a nest of fish bones at the bottom of it. But in ancient 

 times its nest were supposed to float on the top of the sea, and 

 there was a legend that when the Kingfishers were making them, 

 fine weather was always allowed to prevail, the water in kindness 

 to them remaining so smooth and calm, that the mariner might 

 venture on the sea with the happy certainty of not being exposed 

 to storms or tempests. 



Perque dies placidos hiberno tempore septem 

 Incubat alcyone pendentibus sequore nidus." 

 Ovid, Met. xi. 745. 



And, through seven calm days in the the winter time, sits the 

 Kingfisher, whilst the nests are floating on the sea. 



As the ancient name for the bird was " halcyon "or " alcyon," 

 this period was called by PHny and Aristotle " the halcyon days," 

 and so Shakespeare 



" Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon days." 



And a Kingfisher used to be suspended by a thread with extended 

 wings in order to show the direction of the wind like a weathercock. 

 In King Lear we have rogues who 



" Turn their halcyon beaks 

 With every gale and vary of their masters." 



and after Shakespeare, Marlowe in his " Jew of Malta " writes — 



" But how now stands the wind ? 

 Into what corner peers my halcyon's bill ? 



I shall now bring this rambling paper to a close, just saying that 

 I hope at a future time to read another, touching on the more 

 famihar birds that we have about us, such as Robins, Wrens, 

 Titmice, Starlings, Blackbirds, and some of the Finches. 



December 11th, 1889. 

 An exceedingly interesting lecture on the Breathing Organs of 

 Insects was given by Mr. Horsnaill, Secretary to the Dover Field 

 Club. It was illustrated by a large collection of diagrams and 

 specimens, and preparations were afterwards exhibited under 

 several microscopes, kindly brought by Colonel Le Griee, Messrs. 

 Kerr, Peden, and others. A vote of thanks was accorded to the 

 lecturer, and a hope was expressed that the Dover and Folkestone 

 Societies, would be co-workers for the district, and mutual helpers 

 to each other. 



