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PART III.-NATURAL HISTORY. 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
Article I .—Some account of the Natural Hahits of the 
Kingfisher. (Alcedo Ispida, Linn.) By Joseph Paxton, 
F.L.S. & H.S., one of the Conductors. 
o. J Jiw iT'j', del. ei sc. 
The weight of this bird (according to Professor Rennie, in his new 
edition of Montagu’s Ornithological Dictionary,) is an ounce and a half; 
its length seven inches; the bill two inches long of the male, and of the 
female not quite so much. It is well known that it forms its nest in 
holes, in the banks of rivers, not unfrequently in such as have been 
formed by rats, although Professor Rennie seems to evince some doubts 
on this subject. It always chooses such as are ascending, and generally 
goes two or three feet in the bank; “ at the end is scooped a hollow,” 
says Montagu, “ at the bottom of which is a quantity of small fish bones, 
nearly half an inch thick, mixed in with the earth; on this disgorged 
matter the female lays to the number of seven eggs, which are perfectly 
white and transparent, and of a short oval form, each weighing about a 
drachm.” As these bones were observed to be in the holes before they 
had any eggs, it was very naturally supposed, by Montagu, that both 
male and female visited the hole to disgorge this matter, for the purpose 
of forming a nest with it. However, Professor Rennie has found from 
repeated observation that this is no general rule, “for the exuviae offish 
bones ejected ” by them, “as is done by all birds of prey, instead of 
