50 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



fishers near Ghardimaou throucrhout the month of Ma)', and secured a 

 specimen on the 31st of that month. 



Though probably preferring the neighbourhood of fresh water, the 

 Kingfisher seems to be equally at home on the sea-coast and on inland 

 salt-lakes. In Sicily the species may often be found frequenting the 

 salt-pans common in some parts of that island. Canals also, of either 

 fresh or salt water, are favourite haunts of this bird, provided they 

 contain sufficiently clear water for it to detect its prey. The King- 

 fisher's food consists of small fish, varied to a certain extent by 

 Crustacea and water insects. Occasionally, as the bird has a voracious 

 appetite, it will seize quite a fair-sized fish, and I once shot a 

 Kingfisher in the act of swallowing a fish as long as the bird itself ! 

 Being solitary in its habits, it is nearly always found alone. It may 

 often be seen sitting motionless on some stone or post, or on a bough 

 overhanging water, and intently watching for its prey. It is a silent bird 

 as a rule, but when disturbed suddenly will utter a sharp piercing cry 

 of alarm as it darts away over the water at lightning speed, a glimpse of 

 brilliant blue being all that one sees of the bird. Its Moorish name, 

 " Kandil-el-Behar," or "Light of the Sea," is not inappropriate. 



The eggs of this species, five to eight in number, are generally 

 deposited at the end of a long tunnel bored in a river bank, or earth- 

 mound near water, and are placed on the bare ground. They are very 

 round in shape, and of a pure glossy white, measuring about '22 x 20 

 mm. 



After a careful comparison of specimens of Kingfishers from 

 different parts of Tunisia with a series from Europe, I cannot find 

 any grounds for separating the Tunisian bird subspecifically. {Cf. 

 Erlanger, Jour. f. Orn. 1900, p. 7.) 



Specimens in my collection from Marocco appear to be identical 

 with those from Tunisia. 



