542 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol X 



to cutclierry. One day, however, my attention was arrested by the 

 shrieks of one of these kingfishers, accompanied by the cries of many 

 small birdSj most excited amongst whom were the two myuas. 



Looking up I discovered a Pelargopsis^ perched on the tree close to 

 the entrance to the unfortunate myna's nest, uttering every now and 

 then his unmusical notes, but taking no notice of the small birds 

 which every few moments swooped at him in a half-hearted way, even 

 the parents of the anticipated meal not seeming to dare to really attack 

 him. 



Finally, in spite of the loud curses heaped on him by these two, he 

 disappeared into the hole, and when he came out a callow young 

 myna could be seen making ineffectual struggles to escape from the 

 hold of his powerful beak. This horrible sight seemed to gird up the 

 courage of the old mynas, for, as the young one disappeared down the 

 kingfisher's throat, they attacked him in real earnest, whereupon he 

 quickly decamped, his flight still further hastened by a pair of king- 

 crows who, with all the will in the world, joined forces with the 

 mynas and, unlike these, did not desist from their assaults until the 

 murderer had taken refuge in a tree far from the scene of his crime. 



It is said that, failing living young birds, he will content himself 

 with eo-gs, but I do not know of any authentic account of his eating 

 these, though it is most probable that he does. 



It is not at all a shy bird and allows of an easy approach, even after 

 being fired at and missed, flying but a short distance, and when resting 

 is not quickly disturbed. 



When employed in its legitimate occupation of fishing, its actions 

 are much the same as those of Halcyon smyrnensis, and its flight 

 also is much like that of that bird, though I think that the stork- 

 billed kingfisher may be rather the more rapid flyer of the two 

 under ordinary circumstances, the white-breasted kingfisher, on the 

 other hand, being more active in escaping danger. 

 Sub-Family Uacelinince. 

 (446) Ceyx tridactyla. — The Three-toed Kingfisher. 

 Hume, No. 133. 

 This little bird is very largely an insect-eater. I met with two 

 birds once inside the forest in the Jetinga Valley, and, having nothing 

 else to do, I sat down quietly under the dark shade of a thick tree and 



