﻿nest, consisting of a small heap of clean dry grass, is placed in a horizontal hole about 

 arm's depth in a steep bank, and contains four to six pure white roundish eggs, the shell 

 of which is rather rough compared with that of Alcedo ispida. Often several 'nest-hole's 

 are close together. * * The plumage of the young much resembles that of the ad ulr. 

 * * There is scarcely any bird on the Nile tamer than the Black-and-White Kino-fisher." 



For the following note I am indebted to the kindness of my friend Mr. J. J. Monteiro : 



" I have observed this Kingfisher frequently on all that part of the West Coast of 

 Africa that I am acquainted with, namely, from Loango to Little Fish Bay. They are to 

 be seen in numbers on every river, lake, or marsh, whether salt or fresh. Their usual 

 habit is to keep steadily in the air in one spot, five or six feet above the surface of the water, 

 by a heavy flapping of the wings, with their beak hanging down, and now and then dropping 

 like a stone to capture the small fish upon which they feed; this they fly off with to a twig 

 or branch to swallow, and rise to hover again as before. They are very noisy, uttering a 

 loud trilling note or screech. The natives capture quantities of small fish by driving a row 

 of sticks across the shallow rivers and lagoons to support a dam of twigs and rushes, leaving 

 openings at intervals in which are placed baskets or traps to catch the fish as they pass out. 

 These Kingfishers are so abundant that I have often seen them standing one on each stick, 

 stretching in a long line across the lagoon, their showy plumage brightly reflected on the 

 still surface of the placid waters, forming a very striking and pretty sight. They are very 

 tame, taking no notice of people passing by quite close to them ; are very hard to kill, 

 requiring a good and well-directed charge of shot to bring them down even at a compara- 

 tively short distance." 



Mr. Thomas Ay res, speaking of this bird in South-Eastern Africa, states : — 

 "Eye black ; feeds entirely on fish ; frequents the lakes and rivers near the coast ; not 

 found in the interior. This bird hovers over the water before darting down, and if not 

 successful flies on further and hovers again; having caught a fish, it flies to a bough or 

 post to swallow it." 



Dr. Jerdon, in his "Birds of India," writes as follows: — 



"Mr. Strickland separated the Indian bird from C. rudis, stating that it had more 

 white on the upper parts ; but it is not generally allowed to be distinct. Indeed his C. varia 

 appears to have been founded on a newly-moulted specimen, as contrasted with one having 

 worn and abraded plumage. The Spotted Kingfisher is found over ail India, Burmah, and 

 Malayana ; also Western Asia, Africa, and the South of Europe occasionally. It is very 

 common and abundant on the banks of rivers, back waters, and canals ; also on the edges 

 of tanks, and even of pools and ditches by the roadside. Unlike the other Kingfishers, 

 which watch for their prey from a fixed station and then dart down obliquely on it, this 

 one searches for its prey on the wing, every now and then hovering over a piece of water, 

 and, on spying a fish, darting down perpendicularly on it, and rarely failing in its aim. Now 

 and then during its descent it is baulked, and turns off from its swoop ; but I never saw 

 one plunge into the water and turn off from its swoop. 1 cannot say that I have observed 

 it stay so long under water as Pearson would imply when he states that 'it plunges down 

 dead as a stone into the water, and remains below it so long that the ripple over the surface 

 clears away some time before it comes up again.' Sundevall notices its holding its tail 

 erect when sitting. It makes its nest in holes in the banks of rivers." 



Mr. R Swinhoe (I.e.), who met with this Kingfisher in Amoy, says that it is "very 

 common on the river, where it is to be found at all seasons ; poises on the wing at a height 

 above the water, and drops suddenly down to catch its prey. I have, however, seen it 

 strike obliquely when flying close to the surface of the water." 



The description and figure of the adult bird are taken from a fine specimen in my 

 collection from Bengal, that of the young bird from a specimen obtained in West Africa by 

 Heer Sala. 



