MISCELLANEOUS NOTES, 365 
_ The London Zoological Gardens, however, purchased a single specimen as 
long ago as 1884, Unfortunately a civet cat killed the two birds at the 
Calcutta Zoo a few days after their arrival. 
Last summer, having obtained another White-breasted Kingfisher, I deter- 
mined to adopt a different method of feeding it. Small pieces of raw lean 
meat were pushed down the bird’s throat, until, in a day or two, it took the 
meat of its own accord, This meat diet was varied with pieces of fish, the 
bird always striking its food (as it would have done a live fish) upon its 
perch three or four times before swallowing it, This was done with a jerking 
movement of the whole body. Lizards, shrimps and grasshoppers are 
greedily accepted as dainty morsels by this bird, Although I have had the 
bird about nine months, yet I have never seen it drink, Its meat and fish are 
always placed in a jar containing three or four inches of water, into which 
it plunges its massive beak to take out its food, I might also add that the 
bird sometimes immerses its beak in the water, instantly withdrawing it 
with a shake of the head, even when not feeding, 
For some weeks the Kingfisher was kept in an aviary containing a number 
of other birds, such as minivets, white-bellied drongos, black-headed orioles, 
golden-backed wood-peckers, &c., with all of whom it agreed perfectly, 
but owing to the fact that other birds used to eat any meat or fish scattered 
by the Kingfisher, and as this upset their digestions, I had to remove the 
latter bird to a separate cage, 
Tt greets me with a faint cry accompanied by other signs of pleasure when 
I offer it any food, It is tame enough to sit upon my finger; but in the 
presence of strangers at close quarters, evinces a certain amount of fear, 
The bird’s plumage is perfect, and quite as bright as that of a wild bird, 
Mr, F, Finn, B, A,, F. Z,S., Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Museum, 
who saw the bird, said, “itis a distinct triumph,” The bird is extremely 
fond of bathing as might be expected. When I think it requires a bath, I 
stand the cage in a tub of water a foot deep, removing the lower perch of the 
cage, It plunges in head first, sometimes a dozen times in as many minutes, 
The ejection of pellets of fish-bones and other indigestible matter is proceeded 
by a few minutes gaping and straining, The average weight of food eaten in 
one day is 12 ounces, or equivalent to about 21 minnows, 
E. W. HARPER, F. Z.8. 
CaucuTta, April, 1900. 
No. IV—ON THE MATING INSTINCT IN MOTHS, 
By ALFRED GOLDSBOROUGH MAYER, 
During the past summer the author carried out a series of experiments to 
determine the nature of the mating instincts of Collosamia promethia. 
A large number of cocoons of this moth were kindly collected for the author 
by W. L. Tower, Esq,, in the neighbourhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 
