316 LAND BIRDS 



stantly by day, leaving only early in the morning and 

 late at night. 



If she sees her nest being examined she returns at 

 once, uttering her hoarse rattling cry in great excitement, 

 and if possible enters it. The male guards the nest and 

 brings food, rarely if ever brooding the eggs. He some- 

 times prepares a second and shorter burrow as a sleeping 

 place for himself at a little distance from the original 

 nest. 



The Kingfisher's habit of commencing incubation as 

 soon as the first egg is laid causes a great discrepancy in 

 the size of the nestlings, which is doubtless increased by 

 the greater attention paid to the stronger ones, who 

 crowd to the front to be fed. The young are absolutely 

 naked when born, and present a ludicrously top-heavy 

 appearance. Nevertheless, to the eyes of their fond 

 parents they are beauties, and are valiantly defended. 

 I have known the mother to allow herself to be pulled 

 entirely out of the burrow by her hold on a stick thrust 

 in, and then turn back into it, showing fight all the way. 

 The male, meanwhile, was administering a series of well- 

 deserved swooping strikes with his bill on the cap of 

 the tormentor. 



Unless disturbed, the pair will occupy the same nest 

 year after year ; and if a new one must be excavated, it 

 is usually in the same bank. According to the King- 

 fisher code of ethics, only one pair can fish in a stream 

 or pond, and their rights are usually respected by all 

 the others. 



