Kingfishers.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



295 



rocks on the brink of the sea, the mouth of which 

 was darkened by multitudes of swallows pouring out 

 in swarms, and the roof of the cavern was covered 

 with their nests. He describes them as softening in 

 water, and as composed of fish-spawn, resembling 

 half-melted glue which floats on the sea, and adds, 

 ■*' sometimes threads of this viscous substance are 

 seen hanging to the bills of these birds, and which 

 have been supposed, without foundation, to be ex- 

 tracted from the stomach in the breeding-season." 

 Jt was perhaps this passage that induced Sir E. 

 Home to examine the gastric glands of a species of 

 swallow of very large size, and which he regarded 

 as the edible swallow, brought from Java by Sir T. 

 S. Raffles. In this species he found the gastric 

 glands projecting, and splitting into several por- 

 tions like the petals of a flower, and argues that their 

 development is to supply a secretion for the forma- 

 tion of the nests. Fig. 1342 shows :— a, the gullet and 

 gizzard of the Java swallow laid open ; b, the gas- 

 tric glands magnified two hundred and twenty-five 

 times; c, the same glands in the common swallow; 

 ■d, the same glands in the blackbird ; e, similar 

 glands in the pylorus of the human stomach, mag- 

 nified nine hundred times. Against the inference 

 of Sir E. Home it is objected, and with force, that 

 it. does not, appear that the swallow he examined 

 (double the size of our swallow) was one of the 

 edible species, and that we have not the shadow of 

 proof from analogy to conclude that these gastric 

 glands, for whatever reason they might be deve- 

 loped, secrete the materials of the nest. The most 

 probable theory is, that whatever else may be used, 

 the bird, as is the case with the swallow and swift, 

 employs a viscid saliva as a cementing medium ; 

 as M. Reinwardt, a celebrated professor, who re- 

 sided a considerable time in Java, and made some 

 careful researches upon the subject, came to the 

 ^conclusion that the bird consolidates, if it does not 

 wholly form, its nest with a viscous and glutinous 

 fluid, secreted by its very large parotid (salivary) 

 glands. Mr. Crawford, late British resident at the 

 court of the Sultan of Java, and who superintended 

 the collection of these nests (for they are claimed as 

 royal property, and form a valuable branch of the 

 •revenue of the state) at Karang-Bolang for several 

 years, has given us an interesting commercial his- 

 tory of them too long to be quoted. We may ob- 

 serve, however, that about twenty-seven thousand 

 pounds, the chief part of the best quality, are an- 

 nually exported from Java, but a still greater 

 quantity from the Suluk Archipelago ; that much is 

 also exported from Ceylon and New Guinea : and 

 that altogether about thirty thousand tons of Chinese 

 shipping are engaged in the traffic, freighted with 

 property worth in the Archipelago 284 290/. The 

 danger attendant upon the collecting of the nests in 

 the awful caverns is described as imminent in the 

 •extreme. 



Family TODIDiE, Vigors (THE TODIES). 



The Todies are characterized by a peculiar flat- 

 ness or depression of the bill, which has a wide gape 

 margined with vibrissa?. The breadth varies: in 

 some (as the Eurylaimi) it is very broad, somewhat 

 resembling the bill of the Podargi, with a boat-like 

 upper mandible. The wings are rounded; the 

 tarsi of moderate length ; the two outer toes are 

 united as far as the last joint. The habits of these 

 birds are little known. 



1343.— The Green Tody 



(Todusviridis). Generic characters :— Bill length- 

 ened ; broad throughout, suddenly contracting at 

 the tip ; very fiat. Vibrissa? few and weak ; tail 

 short; tarsi weak; toes short. Locality, Tropical 

 America. 



The green tody inhabits the islands of Jamaica, 

 Hayti, and others. It is said to be a bird of recluse 

 habits, haunting the borders of retired marshes, and, 

 as Sloaue says, " melancholy places," sitting with its 

 head crouched between its shoulders ; and suffering 

 itself to be approached within a few feet, arid gazed 

 at for minutes together before it will move. "It 

 keeps much about houses in the country part's, flies 

 very low, and probably may be easily tamed." 

 These birds, says Lesson, live upon insects which 

 they catch in the mud or the water; "they are in 

 truth water moucherolles, and their wide and flat- 

 tened bill, furnished with asperities, or teeth, permit 

 them to sift the mud and retain the prey; they also 

 seek for small insects under the moss or on the 

 banks of rivulets." The nest is built on the ground, 

 of cotton down, feathers, moss, and other soft, ma- 

 terials ; the eggs are five in number and of a blue 

 ■colour. This little bird, which does not much ex- 

 ceed a wren in size, is of a fine bright green above, 

 whitish beneath ; the throat is scarlet ; the sides' 

 rosy; the under tail-coverts yellow. 



1.344. — The Javanese Eurylaimus 

 (Eurylaimus Javanicas). Generic characters : — Bill 

 broader than the head; under mandible very thin; 



nostrils basal, transverse, oval ; wings rounded : tail 

 rounded. Fig. 1345 displays the characters of the 

 bill and feet in this genus, which is restricted to 

 India and the Indian Archipelago. 



The Javanese Eurylaimus is a native of Java and 

 Sumatra ; it frequents the banks of rivers and lakes, 

 feeding on insects and worms. It builds its nest 

 pendent from the branch of a tree which overhangs 

 the water. In Java it tenants the most, remote and 

 inaccessible wastes covered with extensive forests 

 and abounding with rivers and marshes. General 

 colour, rich vinous purple ; forehead black ; back of 

 the neck brown ; wings blackish brown, with a yel- 

 low streak between the coverts and secondaries ; and 

 bordered with yellow, which extends underneath 

 the shoulders. Tail-coverts black, with yellow tips ; 

 tail-feathers black, with a white mark, the two middle 

 excepted. Bill irregularly variegated and striped: 

 the ridge yellowish; the edges black. Tarsi dusky 

 yellowish. 



Family HALCYONIM (KINGFISHERS). 

 In this family are included several genera which 

 differ much in their habits and modes of life ; 

 some resembling our well-known kingfisher in the 

 metallic brilliancy of their plumage, as well as in 

 their darting upon fishes, which constitute then- 

 food ; others again, with a fuller and less glossy 

 plumage, feeding on reptiles, insects, and small qua- 

 drupeds, andnever plunging into the water after prey. 



Varying in minor details, all present the follow- 

 ing characters : —the beak is lengthened and pointed ; 

 the tarsi are short; the toes feeble, and the outer 

 and middle are united as far as the last joint. In 

 some there are only two anterior toes, the innermost 

 being deficient. 



We shall not enter into the minutiae of subgenerie 

 details; but proceed to illustrate the family by a 

 few observations on our pictorial specimens, which 

 will convey a clearer idea of the various forms it 

 includes than a dry disquisition on the slight diffe- 

 rential characters which guide the naturalist in his 

 subdivisions. 



1346. — The Gigantic Kingfisher 

 (Dacelo giganted). This remarkable bird (one of 

 the aberrant forms of the family) is a native of New 

 Holland. The plumage is full and soft; and the 

 feathers of the head are elongated into a crest. 

 The bill is large, long, powerful, and swollen at the 

 sides : the edge of the upper mandible is bowed in 

 near the point, which latter is acute and bends over 

 the point of the lower mandible. The tarsi are 

 stout; the toes armed with sharp claws; the wings 

 are rather long, advancing when folded half way 

 down the tail — this is long, broad, and somewhat 

 rounded. The eyes have a forward situation, being 

 placed close to the base of the beak, imparting a 

 sharp, cunning, and even fierce expression to the 

 aspect, and well depicting the disposition of the 

 bird, which is daring and rapacious. Among the 

 wooded mountain districts in many parts of Aus- 

 tralia, and especially those which border the Mur- 

 rumbidgee river, this species is very common, and 

 may be observed sitting on the watch for its prey, 

 which consists of insects, small quadrupeds, and 

 reptiles. Ever and anon it breaks out into a singular 

 abrupt laugh, somewhat resembling the syllables I 

 yah-yah-yah, commencing in a low and gradually 

 rising to a high and loud tone, startling when heard I 

 amidst the solitudes of the woods. From this wild 

 and discordant cry it has obtained from the colo- 

 nists thetitle of the " laughing or feathered jackass." 

 The natives at Yas call it gobera or gogobera. 

 One seldom laughs without being answered by a 

 second, and among diurnal birds it is the first which 

 is heard in the morning, and the last, at the close of 

 evening ; it rises with the dawn, when the woods 

 re-echo with its gurgling laugh, and at sunset they 

 are heard again in dissonant chorus. 



Unqualified for plunging in the stream, this bird 

 is vigilant in the pui'suit of reptiles and insects. 

 Snakes are a favourite food, and it may often be seen 

 flying to a tree with one of these reptiles in its beak, 

 holding it just behind the head. Generally the 

 snake is killed before being carried away ; but some- 

 times the bird is observed on the branch to break 

 the reptile's head to pieces with its strong sharp 

 beak. Occasionally, as it. is asserted, the gigantic 

 kingfisher will kill young chickens, and carry away 

 eggs ; but its services in destroying reptiles com- 

 pensate the settler for these petty depreciations. We 

 have seen a specimen of this bird in captivity : ge- 

 nerally it sat quietly on its perch, earnestly watching 

 all around it, and now and then uttering its abrupt 

 laugh; on food being presented, it became highly 

 excited, traversed its cage, repeatedly exerting its 

 voice, and manifesting by every action the utmost 

 eagerness and spirit. The general colour above is 

 olive brown: beneath whitish, with obscure dusky 

 bars on the breast ; top of the crest brown ; a white 

 belt above each eye goes round the occiput; and a 

 broad white collar extends from the throat over the 



sides of the neck ; the tail banded with black and 

 ferruginous white at the tip. Total length, one foot 

 six inches. 



1347. — The Cinnamon Crab-eater 

 {Halcyon ci?inamomina, Sw.). This species is a 

 native of New Zealand. The general plumage is 

 of a delicate fawn-colour ; the wings and tail change- 

 able blue-green ; ear-feathers sea-green, whence a 

 narrow black line extends round the back of the 

 neck. Total length, ten inches. Of its habits we 

 have no precise details. 



1348. — The Belted Kingfisher 



(Alcedo Alcyon, Linn.J. The Belted Kingfisher 

 is a native of America, from Hudson's Bay to 

 Mexico, and is a constant resident in the states 

 of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and all the 

 districts that lie to the South of North Carolina, 

 whence it migrates southwards during severe 

 winters. The flight of this bird is very rapid, 

 and in the course of its excursions, if it passes over 

 a pool, it suddenly checks itself in its career, 

 poises in the air like a kestrel, and inspects the 

 water beneath, watching the movements of the 

 fishes ; it then dashes spirally down headlong into 

 the water, seizes a fish, and alights on the nearest 

 tree or stump, where it swallows its prey in a mo- 

 ment. Wilson states that this bird delights in 

 murmuring streams and falling waters, "not merely 

 that they may soothe his ear, but for a gratification 

 somewhat more substantial. Amidst the roar of 

 the cataract, or over the foam of a torrent, he sits 

 perched upon an overhanging bough, glancing his 

 piercing eye in every direction bfclow for his scaly 

 prey, which, with a sudden circular plunge, he 

 sweeps from their native element, and swallows in 

 an instant. His voice, which is not unlike the 

 twirling of a watchman's rattle, is naturally loud, 

 harsh, and sudden, but is softened by the sound of 

 the brawling streams and cascades among which he 

 generally rambles." "Mill-dams are particularly 

 visited by this feathered fisher, and the sound of his 

 pipe is as well known to the miller as the rattling of 

 his own hopper. Rapid streams, with high perpen- 

 dicular banks, particularly if they be of a hard, clayey, 

 or sandy mixture, are also the favourite places of 

 resort for this bird, not only because in such places 

 the small fish are more exposed to view, but because 

 those steep and dry banks are the chosen situation of 

 his nest. Into these he digs with his bill and claws, 

 sometimes to the extent of four or five feet." The 

 extremity is made capacious, and here, on a few 

 sticks and feathers, the eggs are deposited, five in 

 number, and of a pure white. The parents are very 

 attentive to their young, and the female employs 

 various artifices to draw the intruder from her 

 brood. The same excavation is used by the same 

 pair year after year in succession. 



The plumage of this bird is close and compact. 

 General colour above, light blue, the shaft of each 

 feather blackish ; a white spot before the eye, and 

 a streak of the same below it ; quill feathers brown- 

 ish black, barred with white ; secondaries blue on 

 the outer web. Two middle tail feathers blue ; the 

 rest brownish black barred with white ; a broad 

 collar of white from the throat over the sides of the 

 neck ; a blue band across the breast ; sides mottled 

 with blue ; under parts white. Total length, twelve 

 inches and a half. The feathers of the head are 

 long, narrow, and pointed, and form a crest capable 

 of being elevated and depressed. 



1349, 1350. — The Common Kingfisher 



(Alcedo Ispida). This is the Martin-Pecheur of 

 the French ; and also Pescheur, Martinet Pescheur, 

 Tartarin, Artre, and Mounier, according to Belon ; 

 Piumbino, Ucello del Paradiso, Pescafore, Pescatore 

 del Re, Martino Pescatore, Ucello di Santa Maria, 

 and Vitriolo of the Italians, according to Belon ; 

 Ucello della Madonna, Ucello Santa Maria, Piom- 

 bino, and Alcione of the same, according to the 

 Prince of Musignano ; Gemeine Eisvogel (Bech- 

 stein) and Grosser Kleiner und Fremder Eisvogel 

 (Brehm) of the Germans ; Glas y dorian of the an- 

 cient British. 



The kingfisher is common in most parts of Eu- 

 rope ; and there are few of our streams and rivers 

 flowing through fertile meads, abounding with fish, 

 over which this beautiful but voracious bird may 

 not be seen glancing backwards and forwards, its 

 metallic hues glittering in the sun. Occasionally 

 it hovers at a moderate elevation over the water, 

 and then darts down with astonishing velocity and 

 suddenness on some unwary fish, which, heedless of 

 its foe, ventures near the surface, and which is sel- 

 dom missed by the keen-eyed bird. The ordinary 

 manner, however, in which the kingfisher captures 

 its finny prey is by remaining quietly perched on 

 some stump or branch overhanging the water, and 

 then intently watching with dogged perseverance 

 for the favourable moment in which to make its 

 plunge ; it marks the shoals of minnows gliding 



