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IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Voi.. XXVIII, 1921 
from a nearby tree. When the female was flushed the nest was 
found to contain two black young with conspicuous white feather 
tubes. I judged that the birds were about four days old. 
The other nest of this species was discovered on July 26 at 
which time it contained three eggs. On August 2 the nest con- 
tained five eggs and one young about three days old. While we 
were photographing the nest and its contents and banding the 
nestling one of the eggs which was pipped began to crack open 
and with a little assistance from us the bird was soon out. The 
young bird seemed perfectly dry on issuing from the shell, little 
if any of the amniotic fluid remaining at this time. While these 
events were transpiring the parent birds remained in the vicinity 
very much excited, sometimes flying almost to our feet and all 
the time giving vent to the characteristic alarm notes. On 
August 13 the nest was again visited when it was found to have 
been abandoned along with three eggs. Probably two young 
had left the nest alive. This nest was about two feet from 
the ground in a low beech seedling which had sprung up in a 
burned-over area. It was more compactly built than the one 
above described and was almost completely concealed by the 
leaves of the seedling. 
Belted Kingfisher. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). One of the most 
interesting families of young birds that was banded consisted of 
six belted kingfishers. Their home was located in a sand bank 
on the east shore of Douglas Lake about six feet above the 
water-line and forty feet from the edge of the lake. The exca- 
vation, which was not more than two and one-half feet in length. 
Fig, 28. Young Belted Kingfishers about ready to leave nest. 
