3g4 CERYLF. ALCYOy. 



especinlly if while excavating, the birds chance to encounter a stone or if they come to a 

 root, they will go under it. The termination of the burrow is enlarged and scooped out 

 into a nest-like cavity which is to receive the eggs that are deposited about tlu' scrtmd 

 week in May. T never found that any material was used in constructing a nest for 1 liave 

 always taken the fresh eggs from the bare sand or grav(>l, Imt la,ter, when the young occujjy 

 the holes, they are found on a bed offish bones and scales which are thrown up by the 

 birds, much after the manner of Owls and Hawks. I once kept some young alive for a 

 sliort time nud when first captured, they threw up fish scales and bones coinpre-scd togetli- 

 er in oval formed bodies which were surprisingly large when compared with the size of 

 the birds. 



The Kingfishers were more abundant on the Sus(piehanna River than I oversaw them 

 elsewhere and I have found a dozen holes in a half hour's row along the stream all of 

 which were occupied. I opened several nests in order to study the growth of the young 

 and in all cases found the fish scales and bones as described. When exposed to the light, 

 the birds would utter a lisping cry which did not, in the least, resemble the rattle of the 

 adults. As the young do not leave the nest-like cavity for some time, the odor that aris- 

 es from tlie mass of filth which accumulates in the extremity of the burrow is perfectly 

 intolerable. But later in life, not hmg before they fly, the little Kingfishers enter the 

 tunnel and may often be seen sitting at its entrance. When we approached the locality 

 in which the nest was placed, the adult birds did not manifest any uneasiness because they 

 were accustomed to seeing many persons pass daily, in fact some of the holes were made 

 in a bank where a pul)]ic road ran (dose to the margin of tlie river and some of tiic nests 

 were directly beneath the wheel tracks. But when we actually liegan to dig out their 

 domiciles, the Kingfishers exhibited the utmost alarm, flying excitedly about and giving 

 their harsli notes continuously but never venturing very near us, as they evidently under- 

 stood that we were enemies. Further up the river, in sections more remote from settle- 

 ments, they were as shy as in Massacliusetts and showed great solicitude whenever their 

 breeding places were approached. 



The Kingfishers learn very quickly where they are safe; tlius they are always sliy 

 wherever they are hal)itually shot at, but in sections where they are protected, they are 

 remarkably tame. I have seen them quietly perched within a few yards of pedestrians, in 

 localities where the use of a gun was strictly forbidden, while on ponds only a short dis- 

 tance away, they would be exceedingly wary. They are, however, naturally shy for those 

 which I have found in the remote sections of Florida where they were never distuibed, 

 would not allow me to approach very near them. The young which I endeavored to rear 

 appeared sullen, probably through fear, would not feed readily, and soon died. It is quite 

 noticeable that these birds are not apt to start at the report of a gun which is fired at a, short 

 distance away, even if the shot strikes quite near them, and may be shot at repeatedly witli 

 a rifle at from seventy-five to a hundred yards distance without moving, provided the ball 

 does not actually liit the object on which they are sitting. I have thought that this was 

 due to the similarity Ijctween the sound made by the report of a gun and the shock which 

 they must experience when plunging into the water. The birds usually ascend to the 



