THE BELTED KINGFISHER, 457 
actual proposal, where both vociferate in wooden concert to a distracted 
world. But la! love is mighty and doth mightily prevail. 
The nesting tunnel is driven laterally into the face of a steep bank, 
preferably of sand or loam, usually directly over the water, but occasion- 
ally at a considerable distance from it. Dr. Brewer reports one in a 
gravel pit at least a mile from water. The birds are not so particular 
as are the Bank Swallows about digging near the top of the bank, but, 
especially if the bank is small, usually 
select a point about midway. The 
tunnel goes straight in or turns sharp- 
ly to suit an occasional whim, until a 
convenient depth, say five or six feet, 
is reached, when a considerable en- 
largement is made for the nest cham- 
ber. Here, early in May, six or seven 
white eggs are laid, usually upon the 
bare earth, but sometimes upon a lin- 
ing of grass, straw and trash. From 
time to time the birds eject pellets 
containing fish scales, the broken 
testzee of crawfish and other indi- 
gestible substances and these are 
added to the accumulating nest ma- 
terial. Sanitary regulations are not 
very strict in Kingfisher’s home, and 
by the time the young are ready to 
fly we could not blame them for be- 
ing glad to get away. The female is 
a proverbially close sitter, often per- 
mitting herself to be taken with the 
hand, but not until after she has 
made a vigorous defense with her 
sharp beak. If a stick be introduced EVENING ON THE PEND D’ OREILLE. 
into the nest she will sometimes 
seize it so tightly that she can be lifted from the eggs, turtle fashion. 
The parents are very busy birds after the young have broken shell, 
and it takes many a quintal of fish to prepare six, or maybe seven, lusty 
fisher princes for the battle of life. At this season the birds hunt and 
wait upon their young principally at night, in order not to attract hostile 
attention to them by daylight visits. Only one brood is raised in a 
season, and since fishing is unquestionably a fine art, the youngsters 
require constant supervision and instruction for several months. A troop 
