88 ALCEDINID^ HALCYON 



male and is much less distinctly streaked ; the flanks, too, are a 

 good deal more ochreous and streaked with black shaft-lines. 

 The young bird is duller in colour throughout ; the head is almost 

 uniform, and the bill black, reddish towards the base. 



Distribution. — The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is found in the 

 more wooded districts of the Colony from Swellendam eastwards ; 

 it is common throughout the greater part of Natal and the bush- 

 country of the Transvaal, but does not appear to reach the high 

 plateau of the interior of South Africa or the drier western districts. 

 On the Zambesi and north of that river it is replaced by the next 

 species. 



The following are localities : Cape Colony — Swellendam, 

 George (Layard), Oudtshoorn, Knysna (Vietorin), Port Elizabeth, 

 Peddle, East London, Pondoland, Stockenstroom and Kuruman in 

 Bechuanaland div. (Layard); Natal — Durban (Shelley), Pinetown 

 (Stark), Ladysmith (Reid), Ulundi, Eshowe, Black XJmfolosi river 

 and St. Lucia lake all in Zululand (Woodward); Transvaal — 

 Barberton (Kendall), Lydenburg (Francis in S. A. Mus.) and 

 Rustenburg district (Ay res). 



Habits. — This Kingfisher is often found a good distance from 

 water. It is fond of perching on some conspicuous dead branch 

 not far from the ground, hence it makes short flights in pur- 

 suit of its prey, which usually consists of large insects, such as 

 crickets and grasshoppers or even earthworms and small snakes ; 

 these are captured on the ground. It has a loud chattering note, 

 somewhat like that of a Laughing Jackass, while the alarm note is 

 harsh and rattling. 



Buckley found this Kingfisher breeding on the Limpopo in 

 November, and there are eggs in the South African Museum taken 

 bj' Millar at Illovo, in Natal, on November 1, and by Stark at Pine- 

 town, near Durban, on October 11, The latter found the nest-hole 

 situated in a sand- bank at the side of a stream ; the hole was about 

 3 ft. 9 ins. deep, ending in a good-sized chamber 18 inches below 

 the surface of the ground, the floor of which was covered, as is 

 usual, with castings. The eggs, four in number, are rounded ovals, 

 and measure 1-15 x 0"97 ; they are white, but not so shiny as those 

 of Ceryle rudis, though when fresh they are of a salmon tint owing 

 to the yolk showing through the thin shell. 



Mr. Millar describes a curious incident in connection with this 

 bird. He found a pair had nested in a hole bored in the side of 

 a sand pit in his garden, and when discovered had already hatched 



