File:Birds and nature (1905) (14568972629).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature21905chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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t glanceone gets of a Kingfisher, darting alongsome reach of a clear but placid stream,which glides between soft banks fringedwith reeds and bushes. Frequently, asthey fly over the water, they will stoptheir direct flight and, hovering over aspot for a few moments, will suddenlydart downward into the water and re-turn with a fish, or possibly an insectwhich may have been floating on thesurface of the water. They also watchfor their prey while perched upon theboughs of trees, or other objects whichoverhang the water. Upon the sea-coasts, it is said, they will feed uponsmall crabs. - Because of the freezing ofthe streams in the northern portion oftheir range, as winter approaches, theKingfisher must necessarily migratesouthward. As they dive for their foodand must see the fish first, they frequentonly those streams which are not turbu-lent. Neither do they fish when the windroughens the surface or mud colors thewater. They must have halcyon dayswhen the waters are quiet and they can 182
Text Appearing After Image:
From col. Chi. Acad. Sciences. EUROPEAN KINGFISHER. (Alcedo ispida.)9-10 Life-size. Copyrighted 1900. byA. W. Mumford, Chicago. see their prey of fish. It is undoubtedlythis habit which gave rise to the super-stitions of the ancient observers ofwhich we have already spoken. These Kingfishers nest very early inthe year. The nest is at the end of atunnel which may or may not be boredby them in a bank, and opens toward astream. The tunnel slopes upward andmay be straight or crooked as the birdswill frequently bore around an obstruc-tion. While the nests are nearly alwaysbuilt in the banks of a stream or otherbody of water, they have been found atsome distance from water. One ob-server records the finding of a nestwhich was tunneled under the roots of afallen tree in woods bordering the riverThames and fully a quarter of a milefrom its banks. The number of eggslaid are usually six or eight and may lieupon the floor of the chamber or upona mass of fish bones. These boneswhich form the indi

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