ALCEDO. 



in both instances the excavation had been in extremely hard 

 clayey soil ; the third, which was made in soft, sandy soil, was 

 nearly six feet deep. In every case the nest was made of fish- 

 bones ; but in one nest a little moss had also been put down over 

 the bones. On both occasions on which I took the nest, it 

 emitted a very strong stench on being opened out to the air. Of 

 the three nest-holes, two were dug in deep ravines through which 

 a little water trickled during the rains, the banks were densely 

 covered with forest, and no sunshine could penetrate at any time 

 of the day ; the third hole was made amongst the roots of a tree 

 growing on the steep slope of a hill-side and amongst extremely 

 close bamboo jungle. The entrance to the hole was so placed as 

 to be in deep shade throughout the day. The tunnels are made 

 sloping upwards towards the chamber, so that no water can pos- 

 sibly penetrate to it. 



" The eggs are from two to six in number and are not shaped 

 an absolute round. In the first clutch I took, or rather had 

 brought to me, the shape was not particularly noticeable ; but in 

 the second clutch the eggs were of a short but most distinct oval. 

 This may prove to have been an exceptionally shaped lot; but 

 I shall have to wait another year or so before I can say for 

 certain. 



" The eggs are, of course, white and very highly glossed. 



"The three nests were taken on the 14th, 17th, and 21st of 

 April, 1889. On the 14th and 21st the hen bird was captured 

 on the nest, in one case by hand and in the other by a noose placed 

 at the entrance ; in the third the hen bird was shot by myself 

 whilst leaving the nest ; and on the same day a male, presumably 

 the mate, was shot lower down in the same ravine. 



" In May 1888 I had some young birds of this species, which 

 were the first I had seen, brought to me ; they were then fully 

 fledged and ready to fly. 



" This Kingfisher is one of the rarest, if not the rarest, of those 

 to be found on the continent of India, and its extremely shy 

 habits make it even more difficult to obtain, whilst observation of 

 its habits can only be obtained by chance. It keeps to nullahs 

 and ravines in the densest evergreen jungle, and appears to feed 

 on fish, tadpoles, and the larger insects. Only once have I been 

 able to observe it feeding, and that was in December, 1888, when 

 I for some time watched a male bird that was fishing in a small 

 rivulet running through steep and well-wooded banks. Its actions 

 appeared to be much the same as those of Alcedo bengalensis ; but, 

 unlike that bird, it always returned to its perch after an attempt, 

 successful or otherwise, to take a fish, whereas the little A. benya- 

 lensis seems always to ' move on.' Whilst I was looking on he 

 caught some half dozen fish, mostly very small ones ; but one was, 

 I should say, nearly three inches long, and which he only swal- 

 lowed with some difficulty, tossing his head up and jerking the 

 fish about until he got it properly fixed head downwards ; the 

 smaller fry seemed to be swallowed at once irrespective of their 



