see their prey of fish. It is undoubtedly 

 this habit which gave rise to the super- 

 stitions of the ancient observers of 

 which we have already spoken. 



These Kingfishers nest very early in 

 the year. The nest is at the end of a 

 tunnel which may or may not be bored 

 by them in a bank, and opens toward a 

 stream. The tunnel slopes upward and 

 may be straight or crooked as the birds 

 will frequently bore around an obstruc- 

 tion. While the nests are nearly always 

 built in the banks of a stream or other 

 body of water, they have been found at 

 some distance from water. One ob- 

 server records the finding of a nest 

 which was tunneled under the roots of a 

 fallen tree in woods bordering the river 

 Thames and fully a quarter of a mile 

 from its banks. The number of eggs 

 laid are usually six or eight and may lie 

 upon the floor of the chamber or upon 

 a mass of fish bones. These bones 

 which form the indigestible portion of 

 the fishes eaten by the birds are thrown 

 up in pellets by them. The young re- 

 main for a considerable time in the nest 

 and, in fact, it is said, until they are 

 ready for the practice required in the 

 preparation for perfect flight for, on ac- 

 count of the usual position of the nests 

 in banks, they could not begin to obtain 

 their own food except by flying. Pliny, 

 as well as Ovid, believed that the nests 

 of the Kingfishers were built in a form 



which would permit them to float upon 

 the water. Pliny says: "They make 

 their nest during the seven days before 

 the winter solstice, and sit the same 

 number of days after. Their nests are 

 truly wonderful ; they are of the shape 

 of a ball slightly elongated, have a very 

 narrow mouth, and bear a strong re- 

 semblance to a large sponge. It is im- 

 possible to cut them asunder with iron, 

 and they are only to be broken with a 

 strong blow, upon which they separate, 

 just like foam of the sea when dried 

 up." Cuvier has said that the objects 

 called by Pliny the nests of the King- 

 fishers were merel}' a low form of ani- 

 mal life which is similar in its form to a 

 nest. This belief that the Kingfishers 

 nested on the water led to the name 

 ''Halcyon Days." These were the seven 

 days preceding and the seven days fol- 

 lowing the shortest day of the year and 

 were so called "from a superstition that 

 calm weather always prevailed at this 

 time, which was the brooding-time of 

 the Halcyon or Kingfisher. The nest 

 was supposed to float on the sea ; hence 

 the bird was regarded as the harbinger 

 and symbol of calm weather, security 

 and peace." The name Halcyon Days 

 is used, at the present time, to designate 

 any period of tranquility. Bret Harte 

 has written : 



Thou bring'st me back the halcyon days 

 Of grateful rest, the week of leisure. 



IN THE WOOD. 



Here, in the solemn stillness of the w^ood, 

 Long ages past, some dying heart beat slow. 

 Some dusky watcher saw the shadows grow, 

 And cried her kinsmen to avenge the blood. 

 We hold us nobler than the men who stood. 

 Relentless, grim, with ready shaft and bow. 

 Waiting the watchful coming of the foe ; 

 To fight — to die who might, to win who could. 



In some far forest of eternity 



Dwell those brave spirits ; and where once they trod 



The blood of birds cries ever up to God, 



And man stalks by, that all the world may see 



The thirst for blood, the mad desire to kill. 



The naked lust for life, unconquered still. 



— George H. Maitland. 



185 



