THE KING-FISHER. 171 



She to commerce, to luxury, ministers food ; 



And to Sloth lends her couches, nor wholesome nor 



good: 

 Oh, when shall conviction, the truth flash on Wealth, 

 That no road yclept Royal can lead unto Health; 

 That Labour can only such happiness yield, 

 And such, too, which chiefly abounds in the field ? 



The active King-fishers ( i3 ) on willows were seen, 

 In colours most splendid, of purple and green. 



( I3 ) Order, Vicm, {Linn.) King-fisher, the Common, the 

 Splendid, the Purple, &c. 



The genus Alcedo, (Linn.) to which the Common King- 

 fisher, Alcedo ispida belongs, consists of about sixty species, all, 

 except the first named, inhabiting the warmer regions of the 

 globe. The characteristics of the tribe are a triangular thick, 

 straight, long-pointed bill ; tongue fleshy, very short, flat point- 

 ed; feet, inmost, gressorial. It chiefly frequents rivers, and 

 lives on fishes, which it calches with curious dexterity; swallows 

 its prey whole, but brings up the undigested parts; though 

 short winged, it flies with great swiftness; its predominant co- 

 lour is blue of different shades. The following are the chief: 



The Ispida, Common King-fisher or Martin-fisher, the 

 Halcyon of the poets, is in length seven inches, weight one 

 ounce and a half; bill black tinged with orange, two inches 

 long. The head and body beautifully tinged with green and 

 blue, interspersed with yellow and orange ; the throat buff co- 

 lour, beneath a dull orange. Found in this country most fre- 

 quently about clear running streams, in the banks of which it 

 generally takes possession of a rat's hole to deposit its eggs, 

 which are white, seven in number, and transparent. Found 

 also in the marshy districts of Somersetshire, and throughout 



12 



