2 A1.CED1M1LE. 



patch of these, but that they are there placed * a liuing I can 

 hardly credit, as in the majority of cases there are fewer hones 

 under the eggs than elsewhere in the chamber and passage. 



Mr. E. Thompson tells me that -'in the Bhabur and Knmaon 

 Terai this species breeds from March to May, in long narrow holes 

 dug out by the birds on the banks of small running streams." 



Captain Hutton says : " On the 14th of June we took five 

 semitransparent fleshy-white eggs out of a hole in the bank of a 

 stream in the Dehra Doon." 



Messrs. Davidson and Wenden remark of this bird in the 

 Deccan : " Fairly common and breeds. A nest taken at Satara 

 in June." 



Writing from Ahniednugger in the Deccan, Rev. H. Bruce 

 said : " March 15th, 1869. Found this day at Ruhuri two nests 

 of Alcedo benyalensis, in one of winch were six eggs and in the 

 other five ; the first nest was built in the bank of the river about 

 2 feet above the water ; the hole was about 2 inches in diameter, 

 dug horizontally in the sandy bank to the depth of 12 or 14 inches, 

 and at the end of this was an excavation about 5 inches in dia- 

 meter. The eggs were laid in a hollow at the bottom of this ex- 

 cavation ; there was a layer of fragments of fish-bones upon the 

 earth, and the eggs were laid upon this. The other nest was not 

 more than a foot above the water-level, but in other respects 

 similar to the first. Both nests were placed directly over the 

 water, the first over standing water and the second over rnnn'uu/ 

 water." 



Colonel Butler writes : ". JBelyaum, 22ud August, 1879. Four 

 eggs about to hatch. The nest-hole was situated in a bank over- 

 looking a small tank about 2 feet from the level of the water, and 

 the eggs were deposited in a good-sized chamber on the bare 

 ground without any nest, about a foot from the entrance of the 

 hole. 



" On the 24th August I observed either the same or another 

 pair commencing a nest in another tank close by the bank in 

 which they were boring being about 7 feet high, overlooking the 

 water and facing a public road along which people were constantly 

 passing to and fro the whole day. There were two spots much 

 marked by the white droppings of the old birds, near the nest, one 

 an old root growing out of the bank, the other a projecting clod 

 of earth, upon one of which one or other of the birds invariably 

 sat. Upon this date, from the actions of the birds, 1 came to the 

 conclusion that they were only clearing out the hole. One of 

 the birds, presumably the hen, sat on one of the perches outside 

 of the nest until the other arrived, when she immediately left her 

 perch and entered the nest-hole. After a minute or two the other 

 bird (cock presumably) left his perch and passed the hole, uttering 

 a short shrill twitter as he flew by, upon which the hen emerged 

 from the hole and resumed her seat on the perch till the cock re- 

 turned, which was usually in about four or five minutes, during 

 which she started down occasionally into the water below to catch 



