34 



wliicli they did;. The second week in June, 1901, the 

 same site was occupied, and tlie brood were reared and 

 ^ol off successfully. A<^ain, in the season 1902, llie 

 same site was chosen, and eight young ones were 

 hatclied ; but were destroyed Ijy some one, when not 

 <iuite three weeks old. vSonie prowling, mischievous 

 ])oys no dou])t destroyed them by pushing a stick u]) 

 llie hf)lc ; as I ((Hind the stick in the nest when I 

 visited the si)ot to watch the })arent Inrds flash in and 

 out. It would liave Ijeen a grand opportunity to liave 

 sna])-shotted the old one just leaving the nest. I had 

 arranged with a friend, a good amateur ))hotographer, 

 who promised to come and do it : but unfortunately he 

 was taken ill and I could get no other ph(jlograi)her 

 to come until after tiut ne.st was destroyed. The sites 

 or j)f>sitions of the nests, four in nuni))er, which I have 

 observed in the banks of this ])articular stream, were 

 })etween ten inches and two feet from the top level. 

 The burr(nv or entrance is about three inches in 

 diameter, and tiie depth in twfj instances about 

 twenty inches, and in two others about thirty 

 inches. The burrows slope upwards, and the nest, 

 being at the end of the burrows, is only about eight or 

 nine inches from the surface of the ground. My 

 ]>lan i'ov examining the nest is to cut out a square 

 turf (it is grass land; about four or five inches square, 

 and about sixteen inches from the entrance to the 

 burrows. I can tlien ])Ut my hand in and take out 

 either eggs 01 young. 



I am inclined to endorse Mr. N(jrman Oillroy's 

 o])inion that the Kingfisher niakes its own burrows, as 

 the banks in which the nesting places are situated 

 are composed of haid red marly clay, rather smooth, 

 and almost per])endiciilar — so that it would be almost 

 impossible for them to be the deserted holes of the 

 water rat or vole, for they could not possibly climb 

 the banks, which are often overhanging; and there are 



