70 
THE HOOPOE. 
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 in the blues and greens of its beautiful 
plumage, is also much more common. Most of our 
readers may probably have seen it darting in the 
direction of a brook-course like a flying-emerald. 
We were once fortunate enough to watch one within 
a few yards for some time. It was on a calm sunny 
day; the bird was observed to settle on the post of 
a rail, projecting into a. piece of water: a boat was 
gently impelled towards it, in perfect silence; it 
seemed to take no notice, sitting motionless, as if it 
had been stuffed and placed there for ornament. 
In an instant it darted off with so rapid a motion, 
that a green bright line from the post to a splash 
of water, where it had plunged, alone marked its 
course. In another instant, it rose, and with as rapid 
a flight resumed its position on the post, having swal- 
lowed the little fish, whose bright scales we could 
just see glistening in the sun as the bird emerged 
from the water. There it rested motionless as be- 
