242 A DESCRIPTION OF 
This bird is nearly as small as a common sparrow, but 
the head and beak appear proportionally too big for the 
body. The bright blue of the back and wings claims our 
admiration, as it changes into deep purple or lively green, 
according to the angles of light under which the bird pre- 
sents itself to the eye. It is generally seen on the banks of 
rivers, for the purpose of seizing small fish, on which it 
subsists, and which it takes in amazing quantities, by 
balancing itself at a distance above the water for a certain 
time, and then darting on the fish with unerring aim. It 
dives perpendicularly into the water, where it continues 
several seconds, and then brings up the fish, which it car- 
ries to land, beats to death, and afterwards swallows. 
When the bird cannot find a projecting bough, it sits on 
some stone near the brink, or even on the gravel; but the 
moment it perceives the fish, it takes a spring upwards of 
twelve or fifteen feet, and drops from that height upon 
its prey. 
The Kingfisher lays its eggs to the number of seven or 
more, in a hole in the bank of the river or stream that it 
frequents. Dr. Heysham had a female brought alive to 
him at Carlisle by a boy, who said he had taken it the 
preceding night when sitting on its eggs. His informa- 
tion on the subject was, that " having often observed 
these birds frequent a bank upon the river Peteril, he had 
watched them carefully, and at last he saw them go into a 
small hole in the bank. The hole was too narrow to 
admit his hand ; but, as it was made in soft mould, he 
easily enlarged it. It was upwards of half a yard long : 
at the end of it the eggs, which were six in number, were 
placed upon the bare mould, without the smallest appear- 
ance of a nest." The eggs were considerably larger tlian 
those of the yellow-hammer, and of a transparent white 
colour. It appears, from a still later account than this, 
that the direction of the holes is always upward ; that 
they are enlarged at the end, and have there a kind of 
