THE OOLOGIST. 



87 



188. Tardus aonalawhkcf pallasii (Hermit Thrush). A common migrant. I saw 

 several and shot one on tlie 13th of Deceml)er, 1878, also saw one on the 10th 

 of December, 1890. 



189. Menila migratoria (American Robin). An abundant summer resident, 

 often observed in winter. 



190. Stalia niaUs (Bluebird). A common summer resident. 

 The above list includes 190 species, divided thus: 



Residents 20 



Migrants 74 



Summer residents 75 



Winter visitors 14 



Accidentals • 7 



Total 190 



Handom Notes on the Belted Kingfisher. 

 {Ceryle alcyon.) 



The Kingfisher although a "common 

 bird" it's habits are but little known to 

 many of our collectors. It's erratic 

 flight and queer rasping call, demands 

 jLtteation and creates surprise every 

 ■\yhere. The Alcediuidre are known in 

 nearly every country, and in °many 

 places they are held in superstitious 

 *lread. To the poor ignorant Tartan 

 and. Ostiacs of India their feathers are 

 SL charm against all evils. They are 

 the halcyon bird of the Ancients from 

 \irhose habits of incubation arose the 

 tei-ni "Halcyon Days" or those days 

 vrhich are particularly peaceful and 

 happ3'. The English species is smaller 

 than our Belted Kingfisher, also of 

 brighter plumage, though their nesting 

 habits are the same. 



To frequenter of creeks or small 

 rivers this bird is one of endless inter- 

 est. A careless observer would think 

 it to be of no small size (judging from 

 it^ bill and head which are grotesquely 

 out of proporti<jn to the weight of the 

 body), as it suddenly dashes l)y you 

 ivith its peculiar harsh call and beauti- 

 ful metallic plumage. Yet upon exam- 

 ination it proves to be scarcely as large 

 as a dove. In South-Eastern Kansas 

 "where I took my first notes on this bird 

 It is very abouudant, staying all winter. 



Manj' a time while skating have I seen 

 the peculiar antics of this bird in search 

 of small fish around the shallow and 

 unfrozen pools of the river. 



They begin nesting about the last of 

 April and raise from 6 to 14 young. 

 Their nests are but rarely disturbed 

 owing to their position. I have found 

 the nest proper as far as 12 feet back 

 from the face of the bank, the tunnel 

 usually sloping from the nest to the 

 opening. Speaking from exjierience, 

 the collecting of their eggs on the high 

 banks of rivers is no easy thing, were it 

 not that they always tunnel their nests 

 near the top of these steep banks but 

 few could 1)6 collected at the locality 

 fi"om which they are taken, for after 

 digging a couple hours to find nothing 

 at the end, is enough to dampen the 

 ardor of the ordinary oologist. Re- 

 markably, on three-fourths of all the 

 nests which have had eggs I would also 

 find a bird, and in one instance the 

 the bird had broken all the eggs when 

 I reached tiie nest, either through fright 

 or natural meanness. 



A Kiuglislier may well be called a fit 

 example of i)atience, upon seeing one 

 sitting quietly for hours at a time on a 

 dead stub or drift near the water wait- 

 ing for a meal. We might draw astrik- 

 contrast. Their manner of catching 

 fish is a very peculiar one, and orginal 

 to their family. I take an instance 



