In form the Kingfisher is bulky,' and-heavyfor its sixe and
length, reminding the observer o f fife powerful 'Bod^'^nd
short wings of the Dipper» The -beak is about one inch and
a half-long from its point to the feathers on t^ief forehead, and
two inched long from the pointrtd'-fthe angle- formed by the
gape i botKjnandibles black, eic'epl^m^ base: ofbthe lower
one, which ~is- orange; the irides red "an4\ ’^ ^ P iw t s
reddish brown ; behind th^ep^eoverts^ofi-’the lower part of
the side of the neck, an elongated white' patch; from the
lower mandible & green stripe,:ptisse& under the .eyfe;-' extending
below the earrcoverts, and the white „patch to- the shoulder*
top of the head 'and back ® |th e neck darVgreen ; of
the feathers tipped with verditer blue ;.uppei part of the ba_ek1
dark green; lower part of the back, rump^Shd upper taih-
coverts, verditer blue y wing-coverts and tertials darkrgreen,
the former spotted with verditer blue ;-"primary $n&£s«pild‘ary
quill-feathers greenish black, tinged with lighter gre'M^en 4he
outer webs ; tail-feathers indigo blue; but all the upper parts
of the body, which are green in a reflected light, havef^^guorf
less' an appearance of Blue when seen bytfangmitted light;
chin and 'throat.white^-tinged with buff; breast, under» wdug-
coverts, belly'/'ve|ita and under tail-coverts, pa®'- dfesthub;
legs, tbes, and elaws; reddish brown.
The whole length JabbuhSeven inches: From the carpal
joint to the en d o ib ih e wing, three im h e^ l the flrsti four
quill-feathers nearly equal in lengthy but the~seeond and
third are,rather longer than the first and fourth.
The female has rather a smaller beak than the male, and
her plumage is rather f darker’; there is othefWisfe but little
difference.
Young birds have the beak wholly -black, and the irides
darker reddish brown.
lX S & S Ô M f a , ; , H1RUNDIX1DÆ.
THE" SWALLOW,
-Prit Zool. vpl. i. pi 543.
,, ,, ,, Mont.
, A* ‘ITie * Z V'BewxctJ1 Brit.%irds, vol.'ll p. 297.
f®?;, ï n'.*.,, ',i ,’, - -Plem: B*pit;JAn. pi 60.bj":
jh!; . Se^/by^ nith.-^,ol.l i. pj 120,.
i*> I ,, ,, >r J enïj^s, Brit, Vert, 157.
F,r j,“4* G’(Mc,ib Birds of Europe, pt. xvîi?.’v *■
’^Hjir'cmS.elle de ^hemnée, Temm. Man-jd’Orn-ith. vol.fi* p. 427.
H m S f . ’1' r*Ghnèri'iP Ühü-PÊtwP. Wekk'yery** short, depressed, and very
•widejaMhe base, upper i&andib.l^ieiuyëd ’downwards pi^fie poipt, the,ejilmen
Jfevated., -„N.o s trifs b^als nval, partly covered by ^ne-mbrane. tegsshort, toes
slender, tl|p!;in front, onêbebind ; claws M g Wings long and pointed.
“ T he Swallow,” saysotëir Humphry Davy in his Sal-
'Uionia, “ is oneirof my favourite .birds,' and -a rival, of the
Nightingale ; for he cheers my Sensé of seeing as much as the
other-does mj^sense of hearing. He is the glad prophet of