THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 127 
CHAPTER VII. 
INSESSORES: SYNDAGTYLI AND ZYGODAOTYLL 
BELTED KINGFISHER — CALIFORNIA AND RED-HEADED WOOD- 
PECKERS — A NARRATIVE OF THE CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER, 
BY “KELLEY” IVORY-BILLED, GOLDEN-WING, YELLOW- 
BELLIED, AND DOWNY WOODPECKERS — CUCKOO — PARROTS 
— ANECDOTE OF A PARROT, FROM GOSSE’S “NATURAL HIS- 
TORY OF BIRDS.” 
By the banks of some quiet, running stream, or 
smooth and glassy mill-pond, where the Willow, Ha- 
zel and other shrubs dip their branches into the 
sleeping waters, may often be heard a shrill, chatter- 
ing note, much resembling the sound of the watch- 
man’s rattle, which falls with pleasing effect upon 
the ear, as it gently dies away in the distance. This 
is the note of the Belted Kingfisher, which our pres- 
ence has just started from his perch near by. He 
flies some distance up or down the stream, where he 
selects a fresh stand-point, from which he intently 
eyes the motions of the finny tribes below, until one 
suited to his taste comes within the range of his 
deadly aim, when with a sudden winding sweep he 
darts below the surface, and seizing it with his pow- 
erful bill, bears it away to his perch, and immediately 
swallows it whole. 
This singular and not inelegant bird is a lone rep- 
