creative nature, in giving to eacli of its produ£l:ions, the necef- 
fary means to procure food; the middle toe is notched on the 
under fide like a fine faw, by means of which it is enabled 
to keep a firm hold of its finny prey. Colours nearly alike 
in both fexes, the bill in the female not fo long as that of 
the male by one-third. 
It is obferved to fit for hours on a ftone or flump, by the 
banks of running ftreams, watching the motions of fmall fifh^ 
which, the inftant they approach within its reach, it darts on 
with amazing velocity, and will remain fome feconds under the 
w^ater fecuring ; it brings its prey alive to land, and beats it 
to death previous to fwallowing ; it voids the bones whcle^ 
thickly covered with a vifcous fluid. 
The female lays her eggs (fix in number) in the holes vacated 
by the water-rat or mole, which fhe readily accommodates to 
her purpofe ; plaftering it with its excrement, which harden^ 
as foon as expofed to the air, and entirely prevents the 
water from penetrating ; it is generally obferved fo near 
the water's edge that any rife of the water mufl cover the 
entrance, which frequently occafions the nefl to be deflroyed; 
and to this circumflance we may attribute the comparative 
fcarcity of the bird, as from the number of eggs it might 
reafonably be expelled to be numerous. The brilliancy of 
its colours, joined to the quick vibrations of its fhort wings, 
give it a meteor-like appearance ; in fa6l when on wing, its 
motions are fo rapid as to render it almofl impoffible for the 
eye to follow it tg any diftance. 
