COMMON KING FISHER. 391 
is distributed over Ireland with nearly equal 
frequency. 
The King Fisher is never seen away from the 
sides of streams or rivers, appearing rather to 
prefer those of smaller size, not too rapid in their 
course, and which run through a district partially 
wooded, having the banks fringed with brushwood. 
In flight it keeps to the line of the stream, flying 
with great rapidity, in an undulating motion, and 
with very quick strokes of the wings, the eye 
catching the brilliant light of the upper parts, as 
the turns and windings bring it into sight. When 
watching for its prey, or when undisturbed, it sits 
motionless on some projecting branch or dead 
stake, and calls to remembrance the manner of 
perching which is seen to run through many of 
the insect feeding birds, and many of the genera 
of the Fissirostres. The prey is darted on from 
the branch or perch, and consists chiefly of small 
fishes ; to which Temminck adds snails and 
leaches, &c. The nest is formed in the holes of 
banks, and is said to be constructed of the cast- 
ings of the birds, composed of fish bones arranged 
around, and beaten down. The eggs, six or 
seven in number, are of a delicate transparent 
pinkish white. 
On the Continent the King Fisher seems to 
be also generally, but not plentifully diffused, 
and probably extends beyond the Asiatic boun- 
dary, until it is replaced by the Alcedo Asiatica 
spread over the East India Islands, Japan, and 
