TEXAS KINGFISHER 145 



black spotting on the flanks than in the adult male. Apparently there 

 is a gradual change toward maturity during the first year, for October, 

 February, and April birds show a gradual increase in the rufous band. 



The youngest female I have seen, taken on June 8, is much like the 

 adult female, but the pectoral band of greenish black spots is lacking, 

 or nearly so, the under parts being nearly immaculate. These spots, 

 which are more in the form of broad streaks than in transverse spots, 

 increase with age to form one complete and one nearly complete band 

 in the oldest birds. The observations made by Mr. Skutch on the 

 brood of young that he studied agree substantially with the above. 



I have no data on the molts, but Mr. van Rossem (1938) says that 

 "the annual molt * * * takes place in the fall, but the definite time 

 is not known." 



Food. — The food mentioned by Mr. Skutch (MS.) consisted of small 

 minnows. Mr. Simmons (1925) says that this kingfisher is a "busi- 

 ness-like little fisherman, perching atop a stick or stake in tlie water 

 or on a low branch overhanging low water" ; it "frequently flies back 

 and forth over the water, hunting for small fish." It is "often driven 

 off feeding-grounds by the larger Belted Kingfisher, with wliich it is 

 sometimes found." 



Voice. — Mr. Simmons (1925) says that the voice of the Texas king- 

 fisher is a "rather sharp, rattling twitter, uttered on the wing ; quite 

 different from and shriller than the loud, harsh rattle of the Belted 

 Kingfisher." Mr. Skutch refers to the flight note as cheep ^ and the 

 call or alarm note as tick tick tick. 



Field marks. — This is such a small kingfisher that it could hardly 

 be mistaken for anything else within its range. Its upper parts are 

 dark, glossy green, and spotted with white, and it has no occipital 

 crest. The under parts are white, with a rufous pectoral band on the 

 male and a ring of black spots across the breast of the female. 



Enemies. — The first set of eggs that Mr. Skutch found failed to 

 hatch, as they were destroyed by ants. He writes (MS.) : "Opening 

 the burrow, I found it swarming with myriads of small, amber 'fire 

 ants,' a scourge to man and beast alike. Invading the nest, they had 

 worried the birds until they fidgeted on their eggs and cracked them ; 

 then they had worked into the cracks and begun to eat the embryos. 

 I had cleaned them out the previous evening, but all to no avail. The 

 nest was completely ruined. That same morning they had attacked 

 and killed three young woodpeckers in their nest in a dead stub 

 standing a few paces from the kingfishers' burrow. In the humid 

 coastal regions, ants are one of the principal enemies, if not actually 

 the chief enemy, of nesting birds. I have found more eggs and nest- 

 lings destroyed by them than by all other known agents combined." 



