A KINGFISHER AND A TERN 169 



with both tail and bill pointing downwards, so that the 

 shape of the bird is an inverted V with the apex at 

 the neck. It then either dives or passes on to another 

 spot where it again hovers. Frequently it makes as 

 if it were going to dive, then seems to change its mind, 

 for it checks itself during its drop and passes on. 



When the kingfisher was hovering in the air, the 

 tern approached and looked as though he were going 

 to attack him. However, he contented himself by 

 skimming past very close to the " pied fish tiger." 

 This appeared to disconcert the latter, who went back 

 to the neem tree and rested there for a few minutes. 

 Meanwhile, the tern flew away. The moment he had 

 departed the kingfisher renewed his piscatorial efforts 

 and took up a position about twenty feet above the 

 water almost directly over the spot where the ducks 

 were floating. I thought this rather foolish on the part 

 of the kingfisher, because the ducks must necessarily 

 scare away all the fish from that part of the water. 

 However, the little fisherman possessed more sense than 

 I gave him credit for. He had not been hovering for 

 thirty seconds when he plunged into the water and 

 emerged with a large object in his bill. With this he 

 flew to the muddy border of the pond. Then, by means 

 of my field glasses, I saw that his quarry consisted of 

 a frog about two and a half inches long including the 

 legs. The kingfisher experienced some little difficulty 

 in swallowing the frog. He had it crosswise in his beak 

 and the problem that confronted him was to get the 

 frog lengthwise head foremost in his bill without 

 releasing the nimble little amphibian and thus giving 



