WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 345 



cattle, was roughly covered over with slabs of wood, 

 which practically roofed it in, and of course darkened 

 the interior. It was in this sawpit that the kingfishers 

 had their nest, in what appeared to be a hole partly 

 excavated by a rabbit. The distance from the hatch 

 and brook was about 400 yards, so that the parent 

 birds had to carry the fish they captured nearly a 

 quarter of a mile. The sawpit, too, was close to a 

 lane used a good deal, though sheltered by a thick 

 hedge from the observation of those who passed. 



In another case I knew of, the kingfishers built in 

 a mound overhanging a small stagnant and muddy 

 pond, in which there were no fish, and which was 

 within twenty paces of a farmhouse. The house was 

 situate on a hill about three hundred yards from the 

 nearest running stream. This little pond was full in 

 wet weather only, and was constantly used by the 

 horses, the cattle in the field that came almost up 

 to the door, and by the tame ducks. Beside the pond 

 was a wood pile, and persons were constantly passing 

 it to and fro. Yet the kingfishers built there and 

 reared their young, and this not only for one season, 

 fjut for several years in succession. They had to 

 bring all the fish they captured up from the brook, 

 over the garden, and to pass close to the house. Why 

 they should choose such a place is not easily explained, 

 seeing that so many apparently more suitable localities 

 were open to them along the course of the stream. 



One summer I found a family of four young king- 

 fishers perched in a row on a dead branch crossing 



