WOOD AND WASTE 57 



nesting site by the Starlings cost us locally 

 eight young Kingfishers, for this strong, 

 well-fed pair would have certainly again 

 reared two broods of four. This ousting of 

 the Kingfishers from their nesting site is 

 just an instance of one of the minor perils 

 our natives have now to adventure. An- 

 other is that they are driven by the 

 pressure of foreign birds to sites not per- 

 fectly safe. Allusion has been made to the 

 destruction by wind of the tree in the 

 fowl yard. Another pair of Kingfishers 

 this season in another part of the run 

 suffered from a similar mishap, the birds 

 themselves escaping, but the great pine bole 

 selected for their breeding chamber being 

 levelled with the ground. Though miles 

 from any homestead, there, too, Minahs, 

 Starlings, and Sparrows were in full 

 possession of the best sites. I notice, 

 furthermore, that during the last few 

 seasons Minahs hereabouts at any rate have 

 taken to eating dragon flies. 



Like other native breeds, the Kingfisher 

 has now to face a competition unknown 

 before. On the other hand, I believe that 

 anybody in the country who has a garden 

 frequented in winter by Kingfishers, could 



