484 PASSEETNES. 



plumage above, whitish beneath ; a scarlet throat ; sides rose 

 colour ; and the tail-coverts yellow. It is a native of South 

 America and the Antilles ; and Sir Hans Sloane, under the name 

 of " Green Humming-bird," describes it as " one of the most 

 beautiful small birds he ever saw." Mr. Browne states that 

 it is a familiar little bird, and will often let a man come within 

 a few feet to admire it before becoming alarmed. "It keeps 

 much about the houses in country parts," he adds, " flies slow, and 

 probably may be easity tamed." 



It lives almost entirely on the ground, feeding on insects, which 

 it catches in the evening. It builds its nest in the crevices 

 on river banks, or in the soft rocks, in which it hollows out a 

 dwelling by means of its bill and feet. 



The KiNG-nsHEES (Alcedo), the Martin-fishers of some authors, 

 form a highly interesting group, of which Alcedo ispida (Linn.) 

 is the only known species indigenous to Britain. M. Yigors 

 finds an intimate resemblance between them and the Todies. 

 The King-fishers are very singular birds. Their bill is strong, 

 straight, and angular, being of immense length compared with their 

 size ; the tip of both mandibles acute ; the commissure perfectly 

 straight ; the head strong and elongated ; wings and tail of 

 moderate size; tarsi short, and placed far back (Fig. 201). The 

 King-fisher (A. ispida) has behind each eye a patch of light 

 orange brown, succeeded bj^ a white one ; from each corner of the 

 mandible proceeds a line of rich blue, tinged with green ; the crown 

 of the head is deep olive green ; the feathers are tipjjed with a 

 verdigris shade ; chin and throat with yellowish white ; breast, 

 belly, and vent with orange brown ; tail a bluish green ; shafts 

 of the feathers black ; and the legs a pale brick red. This beautiful 

 bird is as interesting in manners as in ajDpearance. Living on 

 the banks of rivers, they feed almost exclusively on fish. The 

 King-fisher watches patiently from a fixed station, generally a 

 naked twig overhanging the water, or a stone projecting above 

 the surface, for its prey : in this position it will sometimes 

 wait for hours, absolute^ immovable. T\Tien the fish comes 

 within reach, with great rapidity it pounces ujDon it, seizing it 

 in its powerful mandibles, and after destroj'ing it by com- 

 pression, or hj knocking it against a stone or the trunk of 



