. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. KINOI'ISIIKit -Ahido sli, wliich it takes, boats it two or tlireo times against the haul substance, and then swallows it witliont any trouble. The Kingfisher is sometimes given to hoarding, and having caught more fisli than he can eat, will take them to his secret storehouse, anil there hide tlieni until lie is able to eat them. In one such ease, of wliieli an account has been forwarded to nie, the bird .seemed to eniidoy its storehouse for the reception of wliieli it liad caugh
. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. KINOI'ISIIKit -Ahido sli, wliich it takes, boats it two or tlireo times against the haul substance, and then swallows it witliont any trouble. The Kingfisher is sometimes given to hoarding, and having caught more fisli than he can eat, will take them to his secret storehouse, anil there hide tlieni until lie is able to eat them. In one such ease, of wliieli an account has been forwarded to nie, the bird .seemed to eniidoy its storehouse for the reception of wliieli it liad caught, and whieh were too large for it to swallow. The treasury chosen by tiiis individual was a creviee formed by tlie roots of a willow-tree that grew close to the water's edge, and it usually contained one or two fish. WometinuiS tliere would be five or six fishes lying in the hole, and some of them so large that they have been removed and cooked. The bird nuist sometimes have found a great difficulty in getting its [)rey fairly ashore, as the tracks were evident on the soft nuid of the bank where the fish had been dragged, and the bird's feet had tnulden. Young trout were the general occupants of the storehouse, and in every case the ii.'jii had been killed liy a bite across the back of the liead or neck. Sometimes the l)ird has been known to meet with a deadly retribution on the part of liis prey, and to fall a victim to his voracity. One such example I have seen. A King- fisher liad caught a common bull-head, or miller's tlannl), a well-known large-headed fish, and on attemjjting to swallow it had l)ecn baiUed by the large head, which refused to pass ihrough the gullet, and accordingly choked the bird. The King Lsher must have been extremely hungry when it attem[>ted to eat so large .i miu'sel, as the fish was evidently of a size tlnit could not possil)ly have been acconnnodated in the bird's interior. Several similar examjiles are known; but one, which is recorded by Mr.
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectnaturalhistory
