File:Garden and aviary birds of India (1906) (14727953286).jpg

Identifier: gardenaviarybird00fin (find matches)
Title: Garden and aviary birds of India
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Finn, Frank, 1868-1932
Subjects:
Publisher: Calcutta, Thacker, Spink and Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
s, etc.,cast up in quids after the flesh has been digested bythe birds. Young Kingfishers are easily reared on fish, and maybe trained to eat raw meat; but these birds cannot becalled desirable pets, and are better left at large. Thebeautiful little Kingfisher of Europe (Alcedo ispida) isvery common in India, as also is the pretty black-and-white Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle varia) ; but only one of thefamily can be called a garden-bird. Kingfishers generallyare called Kilkila in Hindustani, and Machranga inBengali. The White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrn-ensis) is a very showy bird about as big as a House-Mynah, with a very big head and bill and fairly longtail. Its plumage is a most brilliant blue above andrich bay on the head and below, but the throat andbreast are pure white, and there is a pure white patchon the pinion-quills. The bill and feet are scarlet, sothat the whole effect is very brilliant indeed. The codkand hen are exactly alike, but young birds have the bill *LATE VI.
Text Appearing After Image:
One-half Natural Size. -Red-crested Cardinal (Grey and white, scarlet head), 2.-Budgerigar (Black and yellowabove, green below). 3.—Java Sparrow (Blue-grey, black and white head, pink bill).4—Goldfinch (Brown, scarlet face, black and yellow wings). THE KINGFISHERS. 137 and feet nearly black, and some dark fringes on thewhite breast. This Kingfisher is found all over India, Burma, andCeylon, but does not, as a rule, ascend the hills to anyheight. Outside India it extends from Cyprus to CochinChina, and in our limits it is a very common bird, foundoften in gardens and other places away from water, for itfeeds on many other small creatures besides fish, includingearthworms, insects, frogs, and even small birds. It hasa slow undulating flight, and when it makes a swoop on afish comes down in a very half-hearted way, unlike thedetermined plunge of the regular professional Kingfisher.When taking its tub, however, it will plunge with thebest of them. I long knew a bird of this kind which

Note About Images