Febraarr, 1921.] 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 



;31 



One or two exceptions to the straight 

 run were found in eases where the birds 

 had struck a large root far in Avhile bur- 

 rowing. If this should happen early in the 

 proceedings the hole is apparently aband- 

 oned. Small rots are broken and cleared 

 out. No fish bones were found in any of 

 the chambers examined. 



This sand pit, a quarter of a mile from 

 the lake, was the favourite nesting ground. 

 One or two burrows were found in the soft 

 humus and leaf mould covering the islands, 

 but these were all comparatively short. In 

 one case there were no less than three at- 

 tempted and abandoned holes round the 

 successful one, either big roots or rock 

 having formed an impassible barrier. Other 

 nests were found in small sand pits dug 

 in various parts of the forest. Some of 

 these were a mile from the lake and mea- 

 sured but a few yards across with the 

 banks only 18 inches high. Nearly all 

 held a single Kingfisher family and each 

 had one or two holes used in previous 

 years. 



Most of the eggs had hatched by the 

 thne of our arrival. A full clutch appears 

 to consist of eight, the avrage size being 

 3.43 X 2.64 centimetres. It is hard to 

 tell one end from the other. 



The fledging period is very long, prob- 

 ably more than five Aveeks. The young are 

 blind when first hatched and remain so 

 for at least a week. At about a fortnight 

 they are bristling with quills, which, dur- 

 ing the third week, almost simultaneously 

 "burst into bloom". A family of seven 

 was photographed at the end of about the 

 fourth week. A week later they left the 

 nest one by one, two days elapsing be- 

 tween the departure of the first and the 

 last. They were escorted almost at once 

 to the lake. During the second week of 

 July the lake's edge was alive with single 

 young, scattered here and there, sitting 

 stupidly by themselves or chasing a parent 

 for food. A week later each family was 

 reuniting and the young beginning to fish 

 for tliemselves. I have seen four young 

 and an adult on a single perch, the young 

 presumably taking fishing lessons. 



the nest the young "churr" when 

 luiigry. This resembles the adult rattle, 

 V^xcept that it is very much faster and on a 

 apiinute .scale. The young can produce the 



\,^^ presu 

 ^^lung 



adult edition at an early age if taken from 

 the nest and sufficiently aroused. As with 

 the British Kingfisher, the hind toe is kept 

 tightly pressed against the back of the leg 

 during the fledging period. The legs are 

 flesh coloured. 



The Belted Kingfisher is a decidedly 

 noisy bird. No matter whether disturbed 

 b}' human beings, other mammals or the 

 larger raptors it always rattles loud and 

 long. When the young have just left the nest 

 and are being taught their trade, the old 

 birds are at their noisiest. At the nest 

 there are always one or two favourite per- 

 ches on wliich the birds may settle before 

 going to the hole. These are usually at 

 the to]) of some tall tree. Nearly always the 

 bird lands there to the accompaniment of 

 a loud tattoo, Avhether there is danger in 

 sight or not. Their attitudes in perching 

 vary of course, but I sliould say the most 

 characteristic is with the tail, which is 

 often flicked up, held level, and the rag- 

 ged crest partially erect. This ornament 

 always looks patchy when raised. It is 

 thicker, or seemingly so in the young, the 

 feathers being shorter and stouter. The 

 adult plumages are too well known to need 

 description. The juvenile female has the 

 flanks more freely sprinkled with brown 

 then the young male. Both have the grey 

 chest band tipped with brown. Some of 

 the young males show decided indications 

 of the brown lower chest band of the 

 female, but this is a variable feature. The 

 percentage of males per brood appears to 

 l3e considerably higher than females. 



The food consists mainly of fish, though 

 crayfish, abundant in the shallow edges, 

 are extensively eaten and are also fed to 

 the voung. They are taken whole to the 

 nest! Fish, if big, are held in the middle 

 and slapped on a branch till dead or stun- 

 ned. Fishing is mainly done after the 

 manner of Terns, the Kingfishers hovering 

 in the air and then diving; but they also 

 commonly dive from perches, though I 

 have only seen crayfish obtained in this 

 way. Owing to the rocky nature of the 

 lake's edge, suitable perches are few, and 

 these are in continual use. Both birds hunt 

 for the young (and I believe take turns at 

 incubation), and I have seen the cock bring 

 food for the hen when she was brooding 

 the newlv hatched young. 



^^^ 



