170 TEXT-BOOK OF ZOOLOGY 



Related Species. 



The Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida) is one of the handsomest of our native 

 birds. On its upper side the predominating colour is a brilliant metallic 

 blue, on the under side a rich orange-rufous with silky sheen. The chin 

 and throat are white, and the feet brick red ; the bill is black. As its 

 food consists of fish, crabs, and aquatic insects, it lives near the water. 

 Its small feet are not adapted for walking, but only for sitting (perching 

 or passerine type). For hours long 'the bird sits motionless on a branch 

 close above the surface of the water in wait for its prey, " like a cat for a 

 mouse." As soon as its sharp eye has discovered a fish, the bird dives 

 head foremost into the water (the head is wedge-shaped). Having 

 seized its scaly victim in its large, sharp-edged beak, it reaches the surface 

 by means of a few strokes with its short wings and resumes its former 

 seat. The fish being by this time dead from suffocation, or killed by 

 being knocked against a branch, the bird next forces it head foremost 

 (why?) down its wide throat. As the kingfisher fetches its food out 

 of the water, its plumage is stiff, tightly fitted to the body, and 

 extremely oily (compare with duck). On account of its small size 

 (7i inches), it can only capture small animals, but as it is extremely 

 voracious it destroys large numbers of fish. When the streams have 

 become turbid from prolonged rains, the bird often suffers from want of 

 food (why?), as is also the case in severe winters, when the streams 

 are covered with ice, and only a few spots remain open for fishing in. 

 The birds, with their strong beaks, bore for themselves in steep (why ?) 

 banks narrow passages or tunnels, which terminate in a chamber 

 (breeding chamber), in which the white eggs are laid (see owl) upon 

 cast-up fish-bones and other rubbish. 



The Hoopoe (Vpupa epops) frequents pastures by preference, its 

 favourite food consisting of all kinds of dung-burrowing insects and their 

 larvae. With its long, soft and slender bill it pulls its food out of the 

 dung, or from under stones, etc., and also digs up worms and larvae out 

 of the soft soil (see snipe). Its tongue being too short to convey the food 

 to the mouth, the bird throws it up in the air and catches it in its 

 widely-opened bill. It is a migrant. The feet are strong, and well 

 adapted for continuous walking (compare with kingfisher). The general 

 •colour of the plumage is light brown, passing into white on the belly, 

 The wings and tail are black, transversely banded with white. The head 

 bears a crest of feathers, which the bird can unfold like a fan. On the 

 approach of any danger the bird squats on the ground, spreads its wings 

 and tail, holds its beak aloft, resembling in this position a coloured rag 

 rather than a bird, and remains motionless in this protective pose until 



