Birds of East Prussia. 505 



holes chiefly in old pine-trees, but I have found them also in 

 oaks, Populus tremula, and Alnus glutinosa. The eggs are 

 laid in the middle of April. 



Iynx torquilla, L. 



Rather common. Eggs generally not found much before 

 June. 



Merops apiaster, L. 



Has occurred as a straggler in East Prussia. Two speci- 

 mens shot in Samland are in the Konigsberg Museum. 

 Klein has also mentioned the Bee-eater as occurring in 

 Prussia. 



Alcedo ispida, L. 



The Kingfisher is rather rare, and nowhere so common as 

 in the western parts of Germany. 



Coracias garrula, L. 



Not rare in suitable localities, arriving from the end of 

 April to nearly the middle of May. Its food consists chiefly 

 of beetles, such as species of Geotrupes, Melolontha, Prionus, 

 and others, but especially of different species of Geotrupes. 

 The Scarabceidce of the genus Copris, and other genera allied to 

 Geotrupes, Copris, &c., are the principal food of all Coraciidae. 

 I have dissected the stomachs of several species of Coracias 

 and of Eurystomus afer in Africa, as also of Eurystomus 

 orientalis, Coracias indica and affinis in India, and I have 

 always found them containing a similar food. 



Upupa epops, L. 



Not rare. 



CUCULUS CANORUS, L. 



Common. Does not arrive before the 20th of April. 



Strix flammea, L. 



Not rare. Generally breeds in spring, chiefly in May, 

 but occasionally in autumn. Several such occurrences have 

 been published, one of the first, if not the first of all, by 

 Graf Roedern in the J. f, O. I once found nestlings on the 

 6th of November not far from Konigsberg. 



