6 5 



year ants form a large portion of the dietary of this bird. It is 

 not often that one has the opportunity of observing these 

 birds feeding at close quarters, but by effectually concealing 

 myself I had the pleasure of watching a male and female extract 

 ants from their " hills " or nests on many occasions during six 

 consecutive days. This was at Crickleigh, near Gloucester, in the 

 month of August, 1904 ; and I noticed also that the birds often 

 searched among the grass evidently for other insects, though 

 what the exact nature of these were I could not ascertain, 

 although I was within 15 paces and was watching them through 

 a pair of Goertz binoculars. The ant-hills in this particular 

 locality were made in stiff clayey soil, so that the holes drilled 

 in them by the birds remained intact for many days. 



Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida, Linn.). 



434. ? Sex ; Cheshire ; 8th January, 1905. — Completely 

 empty ; mucous lining of a distinct greenish colour. 



435. ? Sex ; Cheshire ; 22nd January, 1905. — 1 small gudgeon, 

 (Gobio fluviatilis) ; many minute fish bones. 



436. Male ; Cheshire ; October, 1904. — Completely filled 

 with small fish bones. 



437. ? Sex ; Cheshire; gth October, 1901. — Remains of 

 several Water Boatmen (Notonecta glauca) ; a few small fish 

 bones. 



438. ? Sex ; Cheshire ; 15th October, 1901. — A mass of small 

 fish bones. 



439. 440. 1 Male ; 1 Female ; Flintshire ; November, 1903. — 

 Both filled with small fish bones. 



441. ? Sex ; Cheshire ; November, 1903. — Mass of small fish 

 bones. 



442. 2 ? Sex ; Flintshire ; 28th November, 1904. — Both 

 examples completely filled with small fish bones. 



443. ? Sex ; near Chester ; 1st December, 1893. — Filled with 

 minute fish bones. 



444. ? Sex ; Cheshire ; December, 1899. — A mass of small 

 fish bones. 



445,446. 2 Males; Dee Estuary; December, 1903. — Both 

 completely empty. 



447. ? Sex ; near Chester ; December, 1899. — Completely 

 filled with small fish bones. 



(4127) F 



