THE KINGFISHERS. 137 
and feet nearly black, and some dark fringes on the 
white breast. 
This Kingfisher is found all over India, Burma, and 
Ceylon, but does not, as a rule, ascend the hills to any 
height. Outside India it extends from Cyprus to Cochin 
China, and in our limits it is a very common bird, found 
often in gardens and other places away from water, for it 
feeds on many other small creatures besides fish, including 
earthworms, insects, frogs, and even small birds. It has 
a slow undulating flight, and when it makes a swoop ona 
fish comes down in a very half-hearted way, unlike the 
determined plunge of the regular professional Kingfisher. 
When taking its tub, however, it will plunge with the 
best of them. I long knew a bird of this kind which 
haunted the tank in the Indian Museum grounds, and 
I regret to say I have known it guilty of piracy, as 
it took to robbing the dabchicks of the fish they caught. 
This shows the bird objects chiefly to the trouble of 
catching fish, and he could probably be tamed by 
throwing out a few live ones for him on the grass. 
This would be a better way of establishing relations with 
such a bird than caging it, although, unlike most 
Kingfishers, it bears confinement very well. My friend 
Mr. E. W. Harper, had one for a long time in a cage, and 
it was in the most beautiful condition, but he is an 
exceptionally keen fancier, and spared no trouble. 
This Kingfisher shows the manner of the origin of 
species very interestingly. In the Andamans, where it 
is very common, it is noticeably darker than in India. 
but similar specimens, chocolate instead of bay, now and 
