BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 27 



bird I had been seeking darted out from the margin 

 almost beneath my feet, and then instead of flying 

 up or down stream, sped like an arrow across the 

 field of buttercups. It was a very bright day, and 

 the bird going from me with the sunshine full on 

 it, appeared entirely of a shining splendid green. 

 Never had I seen the kingfisher in such favourable 

 circumstances ; flying so low above the flowery 

 level that the swiftly vibrating wings must have 

 touched the yellow petals, he was like a waif from 

 some far tropical land. The bird was tropical, but 

 I doubt if there exists within the tropics anything 

 to compare with a field of buttercups — such large 

 and unbroken surfaces of the most brilliant colour 

 in nature. The first bird's mate appeared a minute 

 later, flying in the same direction, and producing 

 the same splendid effect, and also green. These 

 two alone were seen, and only on this occasion, 

 although I often re-visited the spot, hoping to find 

 them again. 



Now the kingfisher is blue, and I am puzded to 

 know why on this one occasion it appeared green. 

 I have in a former work, Argentine Ornithology, 

 described a contrary effect in a small and beautiful 

 tyrant-bird, Cyanotis azarae, variously called in the 

 vernacular, all-coloured or many-coloured kinglet. 

 It has a little blue on its head, but its entire back 

 from the nape to the tail is deep green. It lives in 



