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pKiIofop?ier, (lib. ix. 14) is not inuch larger than a fp;ir- 

 row ; itsp!i;mage is paiiittd with bhu' and green, and lightly 

 tinged with purple ; thefc colours art not diftincl, but 

 melted together, and (hining varioufly over the whole body, 

 the wings Und the neck ; its bill is yellowifh, loiig and 

 fletidcr. The habits of thefe birds alfo rcfemble one another. 

 The alcyon was folitary and penfivc ; and the king-fi(her is 

 almofl always feen alone, and the pairing feafon is of (liort 

 duration. The former was not only an inhabitant of the 

 fea-fhore, but haunted the banks of rivers, and the latter 

 lias alio been found to feek fliell-fifli and large worms, that 

 abound on the (hore of the fea, and iu rivulets that flow 

 into it. Alcyon was fcldom feen and rapid in its flight ; it 

 wheeled Iwittly round fliips.nnd inftantly retired into its little 

 grot on the fliore. The !ame charaifler belongs alfo to the 

 Jcing-tifher. The alcyon and the king-fiflier have the lame 

 itiode of taking their prey, by diving vertically upon it. The 

 king-tiflier is the moll beautiful bird in our climates, as to the 

 richncls and luxuriance of the colours of its plumage. It 

 has, fays Buffon, all the fliades of the rainbow, the bril- 

 liancy of enamel, and the glofiy foftnefs of lilk ; and Gef- 

 ner compares the glowing yellow rerl, which colours the 

 breafl, to the red glare of a burning coal ; and yet the king- 

 filhcr has ftraycd from thofe climates where its ref])lendent 

 and glowing colours would appear to the greateft advantage. 

 There is a fpecies that is common in all the iflands of the 

 South Sea; and Forfter, in his obfer\-ations in Capt. Cook's 

 fecond voyage, has remarked, that its plumage is much 

 more brilliant between the tropics than in tlK' regions fituated 

 beyond the temperate zone, in New Zealand. In the lan- 

 guage of the Society iflands, the king-tiflier is called Erooro, 

 and at Otaheite it is accounted facrcd, and not allowed to 

 be taken or killed. King-fifliers were found not only at 

 Otaheite, but in Huaheine and Ulietea, and in the iflands 

 that are fcattered over the vSouth Sea, though they are more 

 than 1500 leagues diilant from any continent. Thefe king- 

 fifliers are of a dull green, with a collar of tlie fame about 

 their neck.- The iflandefs entertain a fu])erftitious veneration 

 for them. The chief at Ulietea intreatcd Capt. Cook's 

 com.panions, in a very ferious tone, to fpare the king-filliers 

 and herons of his iiland, giving penuiffion to kill all the 

 other birds. There are 20 fpecies in Africa and Aiia, and 

 eight m.ore that are known in the warm parts of America. 

 The European king-fidier is fcattered through Afia and 

 Africa ; m.any of tliofc fent from China and Egypt are 

 found to be the' fame with ours, and Belon has met with 

 them in Greece and in Thrace. This bird, though it derives 

 its origin from the hotted climates, bears the rigour of our 

 fealons. It is feen in the winter along the brooks, diving 

 under the ice, and .emerging with its prey. The Germans 

 have called it eiflvogel, or ice-bird ; and it has been found 

 even among the Tartars and Siberians. The Tartars and 

 Oftiaes ufe the feathers of thefe birds for many fuperllitious 

 purpofes. The former ufe them as love-amulets ; pretend- 

 ing that thofe which float on water will induce a woman who 

 is touched with them to fall in love with the perlon who thus 

 applies it. The Oftiacs take the fl<in, the bill arid the claws 

 of this bird, and enclofe them in a purfe ; and whilft they 

 preferve this amulet, they think they have no ill to fear. 

 Credulity has admitted and reported many other fmillar tales 

 concerning the extraordinary powers and virtues of this 

 bird ; but it is needlefs to recite them. Its flefh has 

 the odcur of baftard muf!<, and is unpalatable food. 

 Although thefe birds are found in cold as well as warm 

 climates, they are often found dead under the ice. M. 

 Daubenton has preferved fome of them alive for fevcral 

 months, by feeding them every day with young fry, which 

 is their only proper uouriflmient ; for they rejeft every other 



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kind of food ; and they may be kept in rooms for fome time, 

 provided that they are placed near bafons of wafer full of 

 fmall fifli. Olina defcribes the method of taking them, at day- 

 break, or in the dufl< of the evening, by letting a trap at tlic 

 edge of the water ; he adds, that tliey live four or five years. 

 4. A. n'ithaca, ifpida bengalenfis torquata of Biiflon, mar- 

 tin-pccheur a front jaime oV BulFon, Bengal K. of Albin. 

 and red-headed K! of Latham, is fliort-tailed ; its back is 

 blue, its abdomen yellow, its head and rump purple, its 

 throat and nape whit -. The bill and the feet arc red. This 

 bud is about the fize of the lall; fpecies, fomewhat more 

 than llx inches long, and is found in Bengal. There is a 

 variety called A. minor, or red-headed K. with the head 

 and neck of an orange-red colour. 5. A. madag.ifcnntnjis, 

 martin-pecheur dc Madagafcar of Buffon, rvfous K. of 

 Eatham ; has a fliortilh tail, rufous body, white throat, 

 blackifh tail feathers ; the bill and feet are red. It is five 

 inches and a half long, and inhabits Madagafcar. 6. A. 

 Jiiperdl'wj'a, ifpida Americana viridis of Brilfon, martin- 

 pecheur vert and orange of Uu.Ton, little green and orange K. 

 of Edwards, and fupercilious K.^of Latham ; is green 

 above, white below, with a green band, and ye-Uow eye- 

 brows. It is about lix inches long, and found m America. 

 Buffon had it from Cayenne. 7. A. alcymi, ifpida criftata 

 carohnenfis of Brifl'on, alcyon of Ray, king-liflier of 

 Catefhy, and belted K. of Pennant andLatham ; is lon^ 

 tailed, creded and blulfh, with a white abdomen, ferrugi- 

 nous breail, and a white fpot before and behind the eyes. 

 There are three varieties, viz.. ifpida lud(;viciana, martin- 

 pecheur of Louifiana of Buffon, or crab-catcher of Sloanc ; 

 ifpida Dominiceniis crillata of BrilTon, martin-pecheut 

 hupe de St. Domingue, and jaquacati of Buffon, or 

 American K. of Edwards ; and ifpida Brafilicnfis criilata 

 of Briflbn, and jaquacati-guacu of Marcgrave, Ray and 

 \Villughby. This fpecies inhabits America, and feems to 

 migrate from Hudfon's Bay to Mexico, where it is eaten, 

 though it has a rank filthy tafte. It is about 13 inches 

 long, feeds on ti(h, ncilles in high banks, into which it 

 penetrates in a horizontal diretlion, lays four white eggs, 

 and hatches in June. 8. A. torquata. See AcH ALALACr i.i. 



9. A. capenjis, ifpida capitis bona; fpei of Briffon, martin- 

 pecheur a gros bee of Buffon ; is Ihort-tailed, afli blue, 

 below fulvous, its breafl. brick-colour, and bill red. It is 

 14 inches long, and found at the Cape of Good Hope. 



10. A. Siiu^ahnfis, ifpida Sencgalenfis major of Briffon, A. 

 fcmiccErulea of Forik, martin-pecheur a tete grife of 

 Buffon ; is long-tailed, flcy-blue, below white, with a hoary 

 head, and coverts of the wings black. There are thretf 

 other varieties, v'fz,. A. bluifli green, and below yellowifh, 

 the crab-eating K. of Latham ; the A., with the heail 

 and neck obfcurely white ; and A. above flcy-blue, below 

 rufous-yellow, and white throat. This fpecies inhabits 

 Arabia and Africa, and particularly the banks of the 

 Senegal, where they are numerous ; and the name of the 

 K. is, in the language of the counti-y, Baboucard. The 

 fecond variety is found in St. Jago and AbyfTinia. 11. A. 

 Smyrneiifis, Smyrna K. of Alhinns and Latham ; is long- 

 tailed, ferruginous, with green wings, tail and back. It 

 is found near Smyrna. There are two other varieties, W-s. 

 the great Gambia K. of Edwards, found in Gambia and 

 Madagafcar, to inches long ; and the great Bengal K. of 

 Albim.s, found in Bengid, and on the coaft of Malabar ; 

 9 and lo-J inches long. 12. A. rudh, ifpida ex albo et atro 

 varia of BrilTon, martin-pecheur pie of Buffon, black and 

 white K. of Edwards and Latham ; is fliort-tailed, black 

 variegated with whitifh, and below white. It is 11 inches 

 long, and found in Afia and Africa. This bird is about 

 the fize of the Royilon crow, and its cry is not unlike 



that 



