THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 127 



waterfall, and, when heard in such a locality, is not disagree- 

 able. When perched on a limb overhanging the water, he 

 frequently jets his tail in the manner of the Pewee, and 

 often descends from such a perch and seizes a frog or a fish ; 

 and I once shot one that had just seized a meadow mouse 

 Qarvicola) in this manner. The young usually remain in 

 the hole in the bank until they are about fledged. I am 

 inclined to think, that usually they return to these holes at 

 night and in stormy weather, as I have frequently seen 

 them about their nests long after they were fledged, and 

 have even seen them passing into them at the close of the 

 day. In migrating, the young leave their parents, and 

 these even separate, and pursue their journey alone ; and it 

 is a case of rare occurrence that two are seen together 

 after i\\Q latter part of August. 



