94 BIRDS' NESTS 



earths, and other even less likely situations at some 

 distance from water. Kingfishers, although they pos- 

 sess remarkably weak feet, are well equipped with 

 strong, powerful bills, and w4th these, pick-axe like, 

 the work of excavation is performed. The burrow is 

 constructed upon very similar principles to that of 

 the Sand Martin's, sloping slightly upwards from the 

 entrance and penetrating for several feet into the 

 solid earth. Our British species often takes as long 

 as a fortnight or three weeks to complete its burrow. 

 At the end a sort of chamber is formed, and in this a 

 nest is made of fish-bones, the remains of the birds' 

 food. It is flat and saucer-shaped, and more likely 

 then not rests upon and is surrounded by excreta and 

 fish remains, which produce a most evil smell. The 

 Jacamars (Galbulidas), the Todys (Todidas) and the 

 Bee-eaters (Meropidse) are other groups of birds that 

 nest in a very similar manner to the Kingfishers.^ 

 The Common Bee-eater {Merops apiaster), an ab- 

 normal migrant to the British Islands, and one that 

 breeds very commonly in various parts of Southern 

 Europe, may be taken as a typical species. Like 

 the Sand Martin, this Bee-eater is gregarious, and 

 numbers of tunnels are made by different pairs in the 

 same locality. Its favourite haunts are earth cliffs on 

 the banks of rivers. Unlike various other burrowing 



1 Of the nidification of the much duller coloured Puff Birds (Buc- 

 conidse) but little is known. That they are hole-builders, however, 

 seems to be fairly conclusive. 



