90 



Wild Birds. 



aniicipatcd; ten visits were recorded, and tlie old birds were photographed in tlie act of 

 both entering and leaving their tunnel. They brought a single fish each time, usually 

 what appeared to be a small chub or dace, and I once recognized a good-sized sunfish. 



When the tent and camera were ready at nine o'clock on the morning of July 23d, 

 the parent birds were away on a fishing excursion, and did not return for half an hour. 

 At last a series of warning rattles, at first faint, but momentarily becoming more shrill, 



announced the approaching 

 bird, A\'ho came at full tilt 

 with fish in bill. Hesitat- 

 ing at sight of the tent she 

 perched on the dead limb 

 of a pine, flew to and fro 

 from one side of the road to 

 the other, and made the 

 woods resound as never be- 

 fore. Even the depths of the 

 earth seemed to respond, 

 as the muffled rattles of 

 the fi\-e young Kingfishers 

 issued from their subter- 

 ranean abode. From what- 

 ever point of view we regard 

 this singular note, it cer- 

 tainly carries well and is ad- 

 mirably adapted to arouse 

 the fish under water and the 

 young bird under ground. 



When the wriggling fish 

 nearh' slipped from her 

 grasp, the bird would shift 

 it about until her forceps 

 had a firmer grip at a point 

 just back of its head. At 

 every reel of the rattle, each 

 of which seemed more shrill 

 and more impatient than 

 the last, she would start as 

 if t(T g<) to her nest a few 

 \-ards a«ay. Occasionalh' 

 a peculiar creaking sound es- 

 caped her, suggesting the grating of dead limbs when swayed by the wind. Suddenly with 

 rattle in shrillest crescendo she bolted straight into the hole, delivered the fish, remained for 

 half a minute, then came out backwards, turning in the air as she dropped from the entrance, 

 and with a parting rattle was off to the river. During these visits the Kingfishers usually 

 remained but a quarter or half a minute in the tunnel, and always came out backwards. 



Fig. 81. The "King Row." Five Kingfishers in line, illustrating habit of sit- 

 ting still. July ig, igoo. 



Fig. 82. The " King Row " at a later period ; thirteen days old, July 23, igoo. 



