KINGFISHER. 
255 
7NS ESS ORES. HA LCYONIDjE. 
FISS1 ROST RES. 
KINGFISHER. 
Alcedo ispida. 
PLATE LXIV. FIG. T. 
This splendid bird breeds sparingly in the sand-banks 
of many of our rivers, sometimes, as well, in the banks 
of a quarry, in a hole at the depth of two or three feet, 
in which it lays six or seven eggs ; sometimes upon a 
collection of small fish-bones, but, I think, more com¬ 
monly upon the bare sand. 
From the many marvellous and exaggerated accounts 
given of the nest of this bird, Colonel Montagu was in¬ 
duced to pay particular attention to its habits, and gives 
the following very accurate and interesting particulars, 
perfectly agreeing with my own observations. “ The 
hole chosen to breed in is always ascending; at the end 
is scooped a hollow, at the bottom of which is a quantity 
of small fish-bones, nearly half an inch thick, mixed in 
with the earth. This is, undoubtedly, the castings of the 
parent birds, and not the young, for we have found it 
even before they have eggs. The hole in which they 
breed is by no means fouled by the castings ; but, before 
the young are able to fly, it becomes extremely foetid by 
the faeces of the brood, which is of a watery nature, and 
cannot be carried away by the parent birds, as is common 
with most of the smaller species : in defect of which, in¬ 
stinct has taught them to have the entrance to their 
