130 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The nesting habits of the western belted kingfisher seem to be very 

 similar to those of the eastern bird ; I find no record of its nesting 

 anywhere but in sand, clay, or gravel banks; such banks are often 

 much higher than those in the East, so the nesting burrow is often at 

 a considerable height from the base, but usually near the top of the 

 cliff. 



In all other respects its habits are not materially different from 

 those of the species elsewhere. Grinnell and Storer (1924) say: 

 "This bird's wing-beat is characteristic, three quick beats followed by 

 two executed in a more leisurely manner, like this: one, two, three; 

 four; five. 



"A Western Belted Kingfisher watched by Mr. Walter P. Taylor 

 came to a perch on a bare limb overhanging some rapids in the river, 

 and sat there motionless. The outline of the bird's body at once be- 

 came indistinguishable from the light and shade of its background; 

 in other words it was obliterated because of the disruptive pattern 

 of its coloration, white and slate areas alternating. If the fishes in 

 the water beneath got the same impression as did the human ob- 

 server, the kingfisher must have become invisible to them, remaining 

 so until the moment of its headlong plunge in their pursuit." 



The eggs of the western belted kingfisher are similar to those of 

 the eastern bird and average only slightly larger. The measure- 

 ments of 38 eggs average 34.78 by 26.89 millimeters; the eggs showing 

 the four extremes measure 36.6 by 27.4, 35.7 by 28, 31.6 by 27, and 33 

 by 25.4 millimeters. 



MEGACERYLE TORQUATA TORQUATA (Linnaens) 



RINGED KINGFISHER 



Ptate 17 



HABITS 



This handsome bird is the largest of the three species of kingfisher 

 found on the American Continent. Its claim to a place on our list 

 is based on the capture of a single specimen, an adult female, by 

 George B. Benners, on June 2, 1888, about a mile below Laredo, Tex., 

 on the United States side of the Rio Grande. The specimen was pre- 

 sented to the Academy of Natural Sciences, in Philadelphia, of which 

 Dr. Witmer Stone (1894) says: "It was sitting on some old roots 

 which had been washed up into a heap by the current of the river, 

 and was shot immediately, so that he did not see it fly or hear its 

 call. Mr. Benners further states that he never saw one of these birds 

 in the vicinity either before or since. Upon the strength of the evi- 

 dence just given this species seems entitled to a place in the fauna 



