NATURAL HISTORY. 109 
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PRI RING FISHER: teen 
a 1$ beautiful bird, which inhabits almof ey 
country, may be faid to vie, in‘elegance of plumag 
with the parrot, the peacock, or even the fplen 
 fhadings of the humming bird. It is larger than the 
{wallow ; moftly frequents the banks of rivers, and 
- makes its neft at the root of fome decayed tree, which 
it lines with the down ofwillow. They lay from five 
to nine white eggs before they fit, and hatch twice a 
year. In this bird we have an inftance of parental — 
and conjtigal affection, which might fhame many of 
the human race ; asa proof of which, that ingenious — 
author, Reaumur, fays, that he had a female of this 
ipecies brought to his houfe, upwards of three leagues 
from her neft. After having admired her beautiful 
colours, he let her fly again, when the fond creature 
was obferved inftantly to return to the neft where fhe - 
had juft before been made 4 captive; when joining 
her mate, fhe began again to lay, though it was the 
third time, and the feafon very far advanced. She 
had feven eggs each time. The fidelity of the male 
exceeds even that of the turtle. While-the hen is 
fitting, and during the helplefs ftate of her callous 
brood, he fupplies her with, fifh, which he takes with 
the greateft expertmefs, and in large quantities ; info- - 
much, that at this feafon, fhe, contrary to moft other 
birds, is fat, and in fine feather. 
_ Several writers have confounded the halcyon with 
the king fifher. The halcyon, it is faid, breeds in 
May, in the banks of ftreams, near the fea ; after the 
firft hatch is reared, it returns today again in the fame 
-neft. Pliny and Ariftotle fay, that the halcyon is 
common in the feas of Sicily ; that it fits only a few 
days, inthe depth-of winter, in a neft that fwims on 
the fea; during which .time, itis faid, the mariner 
may fail with the greateft fafety. But another au- 
thor, with more probability, fays, that the little hal- 
eyon bird is found on the fhores and rocks up the’ 
. Mediterranean, at Sicily ; that, at the latter end 

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