102 THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
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. He courses along the 
windings of the brook or river, at a small height 
above the surface, sometimes suspending himself by 
the rapid action of his wings, like certain species of 
hawks, ready to pounce on the fry below ; now and 
then settling on an old dead overhanging limb to 
reconnoitre. 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. Hapid streams, with high perpendicular 
banks, particularly if they be of a hard, clayey, or 
sandy nature, are also 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 situations for 
his nest. Into these he digs, with bill and claws, 
horizontally, sometimes to the extent of four or five 
feet, at the distance of a foot or two from the surface. 
The few materials he takes in are not always placed 
at the extremity of the hole, that he and his mate 
may have room to turn with convenience. The eggs 
