78 «THE NATURAL HISTORY 
It is very ftrange that a bird, whofe wings eres 
fo {mall in proportion, fhould fly fo fwiftly pare’ 
fith chance to fall out of his beak, fromthe adr | 
upon which he is perched, he will fometimes catch 
it before it reaches the water. | 
. He darts down fo rapidly, that his fall has been i 
compared to the fall of lead. ' 
In warmer climates there are many fpecies of | 
the King-Fither; here we have but one; yet he 
can bear the cold very weil; for in the winter, he is 
feen fometimes to plunge under the ice after his 
prey. Yet fometimes they perifh in the winter. 
“i 
Genus 24, | MEROPS.. 
oe The BEE EATER. 
Phe Beak 18 bowed: or eng ¢ compre “os keel. 
flapdd: 2900 - 
The tongue flender, and lacerated (or fing) at a : 
point, ending i in two long threads, : 
In the feet the three joints of the outer ‘toe grow to the 
middle toe, as in the ee eae Se 
- 
| Tae Bee Raver eats wats, and janie; | 
gnats, flies, bees, and other infects, which 
he catches like the Swallow, as he flies. 
~The children in the if_land of Candia (which is 
- é | in 
So. 
