. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . ward. Range in Washington.—Summer resident, chiefly at lower levels; partiallyresident west of the Cascades, and casually resident on the East-side. Authorities.— [Lewis and Clark, Hist. Ex. (1814) Ed. Biddle: Cones. , p. 189.] Ceryle alcvoii, Boie, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX., 1858, p. C&S. L. D. Sr. Kb. Ra. D^ Ss. Ss-. Kk. J. B. E. Specimens.—U. of W. P. Prov. B. BN. E. THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 455 WHEN we were small boys and had successfully teased our fat
. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . ward. Range in Washington.—Summer resident, chiefly at lower levels; partiallyresident west of the Cascades, and casually resident on the East-side. Authorities.— [Lewis and Clark, Hist. Ex. (1814) Ed. Biddle: Cones. , p. 189.] Ceryle alcvoii, Boie, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX., 1858, p. C&S. L. D. Sr. Kb. Ra. D^ Ss. Ss-. Kk. J. B. E. Specimens.—U. of W. P. Prov. B. BN. E. THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 455 WHEN we were small boys and had successfully teased our fathersor big brothers to let us go fishing with them, we were repeatedly admon-ished not to holler for fear of scaring the fish. This gratuitous andfrequently emphatic advice would have been discredited if the example ofthe Kingfisher had been followed. Either because noise doesnt matter tofish, or because he is moved by the same generous impulse which promptsthe cougar to give fair and frightful warning of his presence at the be-ginning of an intended fi:)rav. the liird makes a dreadful racket as he moves. THE KING ROW. up stream and settles upon his fa\-orite perch, a bare branch overlookinga quiet pool. Here, altho he waits long and ]iatiently, he n(jt infrequentlyvaries the monotony of incessant scrutiny by lireaking out with his weirdrattle—like a watchmans call, some have said; but there is nothing metallicabout it, only wooden. Again, when game is sighted, he rattles with ex-citement before he makes a plunge; and when he bursts out of the waterwith a wriggling minnow in his beak, he clatters in high glee. If, as rarelyhappens, the bird misses the stroke, the sputtering notes which follow speakplainly of disgust, and we are glad for the moment that Kingfisher talk isnot exactly translatable. It is not quite clear whether the bird usually seizes or spears its prey,altho it is certain that it sometimes does the latter. The storv is told of 456 THE BELTED KINGFISHER.
Size: 2169px × 1152px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthordawsonwilliamleon1873, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
