2IO Birds Every Child Should Know 



the kingfisher and the bank swallow retain at 

 least one ancient custom of their ancestors, for 

 they still place their eggs in the ground. The 

 lone fisherman chooses a mate early in the spring 

 and, with her help, he tunnels a hole in a bank 

 next a good fishing ground. A minnow pool 

 furnishes the most-approved baby food. Per- 

 haps the mates will work two or three weeks 

 before they have tunnelled far enough to suit 

 them and made a spacious nursery at the end 

 of the long hall. Usually from five to eight 

 white eggs are laid about six feet from the en- 

 trance on a bundle of grass, or perhaps on a 

 heap of ejected fish bones and refuse. While 

 his queen broods, the devoted kingfisher brings 

 her the best of his catch. At first their babies 

 are as bare and skinny as their cuckoo relatives. 

 When the father or mother bird flies up stream 

 with a fish for them, giving a rattling call in- 

 stead of ringing a dinner bell, all the hungry 

 youngsters rush forward to the mouth of the 

 timnel ; but only one can be satisfied each trip. 

 Then all run backward through the inclined 

 tunnel, like reversible steam engines, and keep 

 tightly huddled together until the next exciting 

 rattle is heard. Both parents are always on 

 guard to drive off mink, rats and water snakes 

 that are the terrors of their nursery. 



