( 9 ) 
The Black and W kite King-fisher. 
T his Bird is of the Bignefs of the Song Thrujh^ the Figure is of the 
natural Size; it hath a long ftraight Bill, flat Crown, long 
Head, and fliort Neck ; the Head, I think, not fo big in proportion to 
the Body, as in fome others of this Genus ; it hath pretty long Wings, 
and along Tail ; all of th&Kings-fifier-YmA are fliort- leg’d; the Bill is long 
and pretty thick at the Bale, ending in a fharp Point, of a black Colour, 
having a Groove or Channel on each Side the upper Mandible, in which 
the Noftrils are placed near the Bafe ; the Eyes are placed juft over the 
Corners of the Mouth ; the Crown of the Head and hinder Part of the 
Neck is black ; from the Corners of the Mouth, under the Eyes, is a 
broad black Line, which falls into the fame Colour behind the Neck; 
from the Noftrils are drawn white Lines above the Eyes, and continued 
the whole Length of the Head ; the whole under Sides, from Bill to 
Tail, is of a dirty, yellowifli White, except a little Bar of black Spots 
that crofies the Middle of the Breaft ; the whole Back is black, the Fea- 
thers having grey Tips ; the Ridge of the Wing is White ; all the Covert- 
feathers party-colour’d of Black and White ; the baftard Wing Black ; 
the firft or largeft Quilhfeathers are white at their Bottoms, then black, 
having the very Tips white ; the middle Quills have white Spots in their 
outer Webs, and white Tips ; the remaining Chills next the Back, are 
black with white Tips; the Tail-feathers are white toward their Bottoms, 
with a Row of tranfverfe black Spots ; toward the Tips is a Bar of Black 
of an Inch broad, the Tips beyond the Bar being White ; the Legs and 
Feet are of a dirty brown Colour, fliap’d as in all others of this Kind. 
Mr. Peter Colinfon lent me this Bird to draw ; he received it with others 
from Gamron in Perjia. 
This Bird was preferv’d in Spirits, with many others, in a Glafs to bring 
to England-, the white Part appeared very dirty and yellow, which, Ibelieve, 
was owing only to its being ftained with the foul Spirits; for I have obferv’d 
fuch Changes in Feathers which I knew otherwife to be purely White. 
N. B. If any one would draw a Bird preferv’d in Spirits, let him 
take it out, wafh it pretty well in warm Water, and rinle it in a good 
Quantity of cold, and let it dry gradually, and he will reftore the 
true Colour of the Feathers, as far as can be ; for fome Feathers in the 
Glafles of Spirits, I have obferved to appear of Colours very contrary to 
the true Colour they are of before they were put in. 
D 
