THE KINGFISHER. 265 
means wild, for we have seen it on the ground, and on the 
trees in a public walk at Seville, hut is most abundant in 
Egypt and Arabia, where they are called the children of 
Solomon, from a tradition that they formed part of the cargo 
of the “ navy of Tarshish,” bringing to him, from Ophir, 
“ gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.” (1 Kings 
x. 22.) It is currently believed by the people of the 
country, that its crest was then a crown of gold ; hut that 
the avidity of mankind for this precious metal occasioning 
the birds to he often killed for their crowns, they assembled 
together, and represented their case to Solomon himself. 
This monarch, in his great wisdom, understood the languages 
of all animals, as well as of all people on the face of the 
earth; and hearing and pitying their case, he prayed to their 
Creator to ameliorate their destiny, when the crown of gold 
was instantly changed to a crest of feathers, of equal, if not 
still greater beauty. 
The Kingfisher, rivalling, if not exceeding the Bee -Eater, 
