20 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
hinder part of the neck, of a bright orange colour, 
but margined on the fide of the mouth, and crolL 
ed, below the eye, by a narrow black flroke, and it 
is terminated behind the auriculars with a flanting 
wedge-lhaped white fpot. The throat is, white; 
the reft of the head, and the wing coverts are of a 
deep Alining green, fpotted with bright light blue : 
the fcapulars and exterior webs of the quills are of 
the fame colour, but without fpots. The middle 
of the back, the rump, and the coverts of the tail 
are of a moft refplendent azure : the tail, which 
confifts of twelve Aiort feathers, is of a rich deep 
blue, and the whole under part of the body of a 
bright orange. The legs and toes ,are of a red 
colour, and are peculiar in their ftiape and con- 
formation, the three forward toes being unconne£t- 
ed from the claws to the firft joints, from whence 
they appear as if grown into each other ; and the 
inner and hinder .ones are placed in a line on the 
infide of the foot, whereby the heel is widened,^ 
and feems prefted out. 
It is difficult to conceive why ornithologifts 
have claffed the KingfiAier with land birds, as its 
habits and manner of living are wholly confined to 
the waters, on the margins of which it will fit for 
hours together on a proj effing twig, or a ftone ; 
at one while fluttering its wings and expofing its 
brilliant plumage to the fun ; at another, hovering 
in the air, like the-Keftril, it waits the moment 
