klein] THE BELTED KINGFISHER 173 



about a foot higher up and about the same distance to one side. 

 The old birds had evidently discovered my imperfectly closed back 

 door, and either mistrusted its security, or else a heavy rain had 

 soaked down into the loosened earth and caused them to make 

 alterations. They had completely closed up the old chamber and 

 packed it tightly with earth and disgorged fish bones. 



". . . Their home was kept perfectly clean by its constant 

 care-taker. One of the full-grown birds, with every feather, as far 

 as I could see, entirely developed, sat just long enough for me to 

 photograph him, and then flew from the branch where I had placed 

 him, down the stream, and out of sight, loudly chattering like an 

 old bird. . . The rest I left in the nest, and no doubt they were 

 all in the open air that warm, sunny day, before nightfall." 



So it takes almost four weeks of feeding and nourishing, accord- 

 ing to this and many other accounts, before the young kingfishers 

 are able to leave the hole in the bank. Even at this time the 

 youngsters are not strong on the wing. In due time all the family 

 of young anglers, wild-eyed, frowzy-headed, make their way to the 

 pond, or lake, when they perch on the projecting snags over the 

 water. They are not experts on the wing nor can they spear a fish, 

 but they are not too old to learn. Watch one dive horizontally 

 for a yard or two beneath the water. Has he a fish in his bill ? It 

 seems not. I wonder what his feelings must be. But willy nilly 

 the young birds must now break away for themselves in the great 

 world of bird life. What wonderful parental devotion was shown 

 them. What wonderful devotion will they in their turn show. 



Both parents have been industrious in catching fish for their 

 nestlings. The devoted male had, of course, done most of the 

 angling, while the mother was brooding. Both parents have been 

 always on guard to drive off mink, rats and water snakes that are 

 the terrors of their nursery. They have kept the airline trail hot 

 between the pond and the bank, while fishing; they have made it 

 hot for those who tried to disturb the tranquility of their beloved. 



Audubon says that when the young are in the nests, the mother, 

 if disturbed, will sometimes fall on the water as if severely wounded 

 while her mate on a branch above shows his perturbation by jerk- 

 ing his tail, raising his crest, rattling, and flying anxiously back 

 and forth. 



We have gone in some detail into the life history of the Belted 

 Kingfisher. We hope that we have given you at least a glimpse 



