14 THE WILSON BULLETIN— March, 1921 



All HHiltiple-brooded species have access to an abun- 

 dant and nnt'ailing food supply suitable for the young, or 

 are adaptive to a varied and easily obtainable and season- 

 able diet. Most all feed upon seeds, insects or fruit as 

 occasion requires and are consequently unaffected during 

 seasonal scarcity of any one food. They are all builders of 

 nests of simple construction.^ I know of no species in the 

 northern ])art of the United States building an elaborate 

 nest or tunneling in earth or wood for each clutch, regular- 

 ly producing more than a snigle brood. They all have the 

 effective assistance of the male, especially in taking charge 

 of the offspring out of the first nest until they can shift 

 for themselves. Finally, they have a brief nesting cycle. 

 It is improbable that a nidicolous species incapable of con- 

 fining the total ])eriod of nest building, deposition, incu- 

 bation and nestling life to very much over six weeks, can 

 regularly produce more than a single brood in Northern 

 United States, also the ]iesting season must be brief or the 

 ])arents will not be in a physiological condition to repeat. 

 Mr. Alfred C. Kedfield carefully measured the work 

 of a Belted Kingfisher nesting in a quarry at Radnor, I'a., 

 April 2-18, 1008, and identified the sex of tlie excavator 

 once as the female and once as the male. 

 Here are his notes : 



1st day, hole just started 



ord day, about 8 inches deep, 



5th day, about 15 inches deep. 



6th day, 18 inches deep. 



"While there was no increase in depth on the last tliree 



