BUZZARD'S REST. 39 



tie valley through which a fish-stream runs. When the 

 brooks are frozen, the bird is cunning enough to search 

 for air-holes, and if the opening in the ice be a yard in 

 width, will plunge into it, secure its prey, and emerge 

 in safety. Occasionally, the kingfisher would sadly mis- 

 calculate its bearings, and coming up under the ice be 

 drowned. This was the fate of one that lived through- 

 out the winter in the shed covering an old-fashioned 

 water-wheel. This bird in some way learned that the 

 fish collected in a deep pool behind the waters of the 

 dam, and continually passed through the broad sheet 

 of falling water when foraging there. After passing a 

 pleasant winter, it forsook the dam for the mill-pond, 

 and was caught under a cake of floating ice, that covered 

 but a small portion of the pond's surface. 



The miller told me that this kingfisher soon became 

 quite tame, after winter set in, and delighted to sit on 

 the sill of a south window of the wheel-shed. When the 

 wheel was stopped, the kingfisher often sat close to the 

 edge of the pool beneath, watching the minnows, but 

 was not able to capture any, as the depth of the water 

 was not sufficient to allow the bird to dive. Several 

 times the miller caught a number of the fish and placed 

 them in very conspicuous places, but the kingfisher did 

 not appear even to notice them; and the miller was 

 very positive that none were eaten. 



Another and very different bird that constantly fre- 

 quents these overhanging birches, is the little green her- 

 on. When this lively little wader thoughtfully prom- 

 enades the broad branches, and at times stops to gaze 

 intently at the water beneath, a charm is lent to this 



