148 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



into the subject as mathematical-minded Mudie 

 did to show that Nature's lavishness in the pro- 

 duction of life would make such a contention un- 

 reasonable. He demonstrated that if all the fishes 

 hatched were to live their full term, in twenty-four 

 years their productive power would convert into 

 fish (two hundred to the solid foot) as much matter 

 as there is contained in the whole solar system — 

 sun, planets, and satelhtes I An " abundantly 

 starth'ng " result, as he says. To be well within 

 the mark, ninety-nine out of every hundred fishes 

 hatched must somehow perish during that stage 

 when they are nothing but suitable morsels for 

 the kingfisher, to be swallowed entire ; and a 

 portion of all this wasted food might very well go 

 to sustain a few species, which would be beautiful 

 ornaments of the waterside, and a perpetual delight 

 to all lovers of rural nature, including anglers. It 

 may be remarked in passing, that the waste of food, 

 in the present disorganized state of nature, is not 

 only in our streams. 



The introduction of one or more of these lovely 

 foreign kingfishers would not certainly have the 

 effect of hastening the decline of our native species ; 

 but indirectly it might bring about a contrary result 

 — a subject to be touched on at the end of this essay. 

 Practical naturalists may say that kingfishers would 

 be far more difficult to procure than other birds. 



