232 THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



He has gone off to his nest, no doubt, to feed his hungry little 

 ones. But he is sure to be back in a few minutes, and we shall 

 again see him select his perch, watch for and obtain fresh victims. 



What a very beautiful bird he is! We cannot see him well as 

 he flies past; but while he is perched we have just time to realize 

 and to admire his bright plumage. 



The feathers on his head and the upper part of his back are 

 rich, dark green, sometimes tipped with light blue. The lower 

 part of his back is a light violet, which glitters in the sunshine ; 

 his tail is deep blue, and his throat and chin are white; while the 

 under part of his body is of a pretty chestnut-brown. His eyes 

 are crimson, and his long bill is black. A white streak passes 

 from each eye to the back of his neck. 



The kingfisher does not build in a bush or in a tree, like so 

 many other birds, but always makes his nest in a hole in a bank, 

 usually quite close to the water's edge. He generally chooses the 

 burrow of the water-rat for this purpose, and scoops out a chamber 

 at the end sufficiently large to hold the nest. 



The nest is a very wonderful thing. It is built, not of sticks, 

 nor grass, nor hay; not of dead leaves, wool, moss, nor feathers, 

 but oi fish-bones. For the kingfisher cannot digest the bones of the 

 fishes which he captures, any more than can the owl the bones of 

 its mice. So he passes them back through his mouth, collects 

 them together, and makes his nest of them. 



The kingfisher is a very rapacious bird, and his appetite is 

 seldom satisfied ; but every now and then he contrives to catch 

 more fish than he can eat at the time. In such cases he searches 

 for a crevice in the bank of the stream, or for a convenient nook 

 among the roots of a tree. This he turns into a larder, into which 

 he puts his victims as fast as he catches them, and comes back 

 somewhat later in order to eat them. 



Sometimes he catches quite large fishes, and finds no little 

 difficulty in getting them out of the water. He is said to carry 

 these to the nearest stone, and strike their heads against it until 

 they are dead. 



