THE KINGFISHER 227 



liable to be washed away by the current ; and, notwithstanding 

 my regard for this little bird, I am afraid I must admit that he 

 is guilty of no small destruction amongst the spawn. 



The water-ouzel has another very peculiar habit, which 

 I have never heard mentioned. In the coldest days of winter 

 I have seen him alight on a quiet pool, and with outstretched 

 wings recline for a few moments on the water, uttering a most 

 sweet and merry song — then rising into the air, he wheels 

 round and round for a minute or two, repeating his song as he 

 flies back to some accustomed stone. His notes are so pleasing, 

 that he fully deserves a place in the list of our song-birds ; 

 though I never found but one other person, besides myself, who 

 would own to having heard the water-ouzel sing. In the early 

 spring, too, he courts his mate with the same harmony, and 

 pursues her from bank to bank singing as loudly as he can — 

 often have I stopped to listen to him as he flew to and fro along 

 the burn, apparently full of business and importance ; then 

 pitching on a stone, he would look at me with such confidence, 

 that, notwithstanding the bad name he has acquired with the 

 fishermen, I never could make up my mind to shoot him. He 

 frequents the rocky burns far up the mountains, building in the 

 crevices of the rocks, and rearing his young in peace and security, 

 amidst the most wild and magnificent scenery. 



The nest is large, and built, like a wren's, with a roof — the 

 eggs are a transparent white. 



The people here have an idea that the water-ouzel preys 

 on small fish, but this is an erroneous idea ; the bird is not 

 adapted in any way either for catching fish or for swallowing 

 them. 



During a severe frost last year, I watched for some time a 

 common kingfisher, which, by some strange chance, and quite 

 against its usual habits, had strayed into this northern latitude. 

 He first caught my eye while darting like a living emerald 

 along the course of a small unfrozen stream between my house 

 and the river ; he then suddenly alighted on a post, and remained 

 a short time motionless in the peculiar strange attitude of his 

 kind, as if intent on gazing at the sky. All at once a new idea 



acting as a check on the increase of various predacious water-beetles and other aquatic 

 insects whose ravenous grubs or larva furnish his favourite food. His persecutors are 

 therefore, in my humble opinion, amenable to the double charge of injustice and in- 

 gratitude." 



