48 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
NOTES. 
. lL. Bee-eaters as Fish-eaters—The following correspondence 
appeared in the columns of the “‘ Ceylon Observer ” between May 4 
and May 11, 1910 :— 
I shall be glad to hear if any of your readers have noticed bee- 
eaters fishing. There are a pair of chestnut-headed bee-eaters, 
which nest pretty regularly in a steep bank on a road below my 
bungalow, and about 150 yards distant from my pond. Almost any 
bright afternoon, between 2 and 3 P.M., they may be seen fishing in 
the pond. They come down from a dead tree, which stands on a 
knoll some 50 yards away ; sometimes hovering for a moment over 
the water to locate their prey, but more commonly marking it in 
their swoop, and dashing headlong into the water like a kingfisher, 
and very rarely missing their fish. I have seen the pair account 
for a dozen fish in as many minutes ; all quite small fry. 
When there is a flight of white butterflies on, these birds devote | 
most of their attention to them throughout the day, but on warm 
bright days nearly always have a go at fishing in the afternoon. 
T have heard one or two Tamils call these birds Min kottu kuruvi, 
but this was after I had pointed out the birds dipping the water ; it 
is possible they mistook them for kingfishers, though not likely, as 
most of the Tamils here seem to have a very fair knowledge of birds. 
‘ql have always hitherto associated bee-eaters with the one diet of 
insects ; and I could not quite trust the accuracy of my eyesight 
until I brought a strong pair of field glasses to bear on the actors 
at the short range of 15 to 20 yards. I think it probable that many 
so-called insectivorous birds change their diet when some chance 
has put them up to the taste of a new article which happens to suit 
them. 
E. GORDON REEVES. 
Wiltshire, Matale, May 2, 1910. 
With reference to the interesting observation recorded by Colonel 
Gordon Reeves, as to the occasional fish-eating or rather fry-eating 
habits of the chestnut-headed bee-eater, I may point out that it 
very rarely happens that an opportunity for making such an obser- 
vation presents itself under ordinary circumstances. There is no 
reason whatever to doubt the accuracy of the observation. Other 
cases of birds varying their diet are known, although the change 
from an insectivorous to a piscivorous diet is perhaps rather 
abrupter than usual. The opposite change from fish-eating to 
insect-eating habits is to be noted in the kingfisher family, to — 
