

THE 



Vol T. 



BOSTON, NOVEMBER, 1885. 



No. 7. 



For the Ymmg Oiiiitliologist. 



THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 



(Oeryle alcyon.) 



This bird is found all over North 

 America, and its peculiar habits 

 make it a very interesting study to the 

 ornithologist. It is about thirteen 

 inches long, and the head is surmount- 

 ed by a crest. The color is blue above ; 

 the under parts, and a spot anterior 

 to the eye, being white, with a band of 

 light brown across the breast. 



Its favorite resort is near a pond or 

 stream, where it will sit for hours 

 on a decayed limb watching for 

 fish which constitutes its food. 

 When it sees a fish it darts headlong 

 into the water, sometimes going com- 

 pletely beneath the surface, and seiz- 

 ing the fish, returns to its tree and 

 devours it, and is immediately on the 

 watch for another. 



It is also peculiar for its breed- 

 ing habits, choosing a location, gener- 

 ally remote from the water, which it 

 seldom leaves for other places. 



By the united efforts of the male 

 and female a hole is excavated horizon- 

 tally in a sandy bank to a distance of 

 from four to six feet, the first two 

 or three feet being about three 

 inches in diameter, and then widening 

 gradually. There is no nest built, the 

 eggs being laid on a handful of fish 

 bones on the bottom. The eggs are 

 generally six in number, and on ac- 

 count of tlie dirticulty in obtaining 



them, they are generally in good de- 

 mand ; they are pure white. 



If the female is sitting on the eggs 

 when the collector's hands are inserted 

 he will receive several severe pecks, 

 and if he is not used to the business, 

 he will generally withdraw his hand 

 immediately. Where the hole is 

 straight, I have successfully tried 

 "spooning" the eggs out with a large 

 spoon tied to a long stick. But it is 

 so often curved that this method is not 

 always expedient. 



Fred S. Odle, 



Lapeer, Mich. 



HOODED WARBLER. 



This beautiful and handsome War- 

 bler has long been familiar to me as 

 one of the migratory tribes, but until 

 this past season their breeding hab- 

 its have been unknown to me, but on 

 the 30th of April, 1885, I found my 

 first nest. It was situated in a small 

 bush, about two feet from the ground, 

 composed, outwardly, of cane leaves, 

 withered plants, &c., lined with fine dry 

 roots and horsehair. It contained four 

 eggs, white, speckled with reddish- 

 brown spots, chiefly on the large end. 

 They seem to prefer a low, wet situa- 

 tion to all others, at least I have found 

 it so, as I have found several since 

 the season commenced and always in 

 the same situation. Whether they raise 

 more than one brood during the seas- 

 on, I am unable to say at present. 



T. D. Perry. 

 Savannah, Ga. 



