klein] THE BELTED KINGFISHER 167 



larger than the robin, and his head and fore parts are much larger 

 in proportion; this is the more noticeable because of the long 

 feathers of the head which he lifts into a crest, and because of the 

 shortness of the tail. Of course, he seems top heavy in appearance, 

 but can you guess what use he can put his arrow like body to ? His 

 tiny feet are deformed and hardly large enough to support him, 

 but I am sure a kingfisher would not pretend to walk ; neither has 

 he any need for running and hopping, like the robin. Did you 

 ever stop to think, by the way, how closely the color of his coat 

 may match the water? Were you ever lucky enough to look at 

 him from above with the blue water behind him? 



This Izaak Walton of birddom, whom you may see perched as 

 erect as a fish hawk on a snag in the lake, creek or river, or on a 

 dead limb projecting over the water, on the lookout for minnows, 

 chubs, red fins, samlets or any other small fry that swims past, is 

 as expert as any fisherman you are ever likely to know. You can- 

 not with increasing knowledge of the halcyon lose your wonder, or 

 cease to admire him. You will never possibly overestimate the 

 difficult requirements of an expert fisherman. Sharp eyes are 

 necessary to see a little fish where sunbeams dance on the ripples 

 and the refracted light plays queer tricks with one's vision. It 

 can't be an easy thing to hit a fish in smooth water, it certainly 

 can't be an easy thing to hit a fish in rough water. A friend of 

 mine was sitting on the bank one day when a "king" came rattling 

 down the river in swift, straight flight, and swerving up, caught 

 himself in mid-air and came to a stop about fifteen feet above the 

 water. How exciting it must have been to watch him ! What an 

 eye he must have to see a fish under the surface when going at such 

 a pace! He fluttered for a moment as a sparrow hawk does above 

 his prey, and dropped, arrow-like, completely disappearing beneath 

 the surface. The next instant he was in the air again with a cray 

 fish. He wasn't wet a bit, for his clothes are water-tight; the 

 water ran off his satiny plumage as if his coat were thoroly oiled. 

 In addition to his thick, oily plumage as water-proof as a duck's, 

 he wears a suit of down underclothing beneath. 



Once a victim is sighted, how swiftly the lone fisherman dives 

 thru the air and water after it, and how accurately he strikes its 

 deathblow behind the gills ! If the fish be large and lusty it may 

 be necessary to carry it to the snag and give it a few sharp knocks 

 with his long pwerful bill to end its struggles. These are soon over, 



