THE FASCINATION OF LIGHT 329 



first hovering and then descending suddenly upon 

 it, is the Osprey ; but as it fishes by day, hovers at 

 a considerable height like a Kestrel, and has a white 

 lining to the w^ings, its mode of procedure is not 

 comparable to that of the Heron or the Kingfisher, 



A KINGFISHER HOVERING. 



for it has not the flame-coloured breast of the latter, 

 nor has it been shown to have the powder-down of 

 the former. Nevertheless, it was anciently believed 

 to exercise some sort of fascination over the fish, 

 allusion to which may be found in the works of 

 Shakespeare and other dramatists of the Elizabethan 

 age. But the story is too long to be here discussed. 



