KINGFISHERS. 
73 
very hard set, indeed almost on the point of hatching. This hole was made in a 
rather harder soil than the other, but still not in a clay or really stiff material. 
The only other nest I have seen was found on the 10th of April 1893, the day 
before this was written. The female bird I shot as it left the nest, and the male 
as it came up calling loudly to its mate. The burrow, chamber and all, was 
complete when found, but was quite empty, containing neither eggs nor nest. The 
tunnel in this case was not six inches long, and the chamber was about fifteen 
inches long by about seven broad and six high. The soil in which this nest-hole was 
excavated was composed of clay and sand mixed, and was decidedly stiff*. Judging 
from the three nests above described, it seems probable that the bird only makes 
very short burrows. Halcyon smyrnensis, Alcedo ispida, and many other kinds of 
kingfishers, would have dug out a hole some four to six feet deep in the ground in 
which the first nest was taken, and would certainly have made them of over three 
feet in the other places. In texture and shape the eggs do not differ from the 
majority of other kingfishers’ eggs, although they are unusually small in size. 
Amongst the bed of bones found in the first and second burrows, there were a good 
many which must have belonged to fish fully six inches long, but the greater 
number of them were those of very small fish. The Kacharis tell me that as a rule 
this bird only lays two or three eggs, and that my finding four was exceptional, 
but a Kachari’s word is not particularly reliable. They are also said to breed 
principally in May, after the first heavy floods, not, as nearly all other birds which 
make similar excavations for their eggs do, before the floods. This kingfisher is 
very common on nearly all the hill-streams of any size, up to about two thousand 
feet; above this it is much less common; but I have seen it now and then on the 
Laisung, a little stream at an elevation of about three thousand feet. During the 
breeding-season it ascends higher up than in the cold weather, during which latter 
season it is often found well in to the plains, but after April I have not heard of 
any being met with below about five or six hundred feet. On the Dryring Kopili 
and Zelincra rivers this bird and C. rudis meet one another, and for a few miles at 
o 
their junction both may be met with, but their limits seem to be very distinctly 
defined, and a straggler of either kind is but seldom met with far beyond them. I 
believe they are entirely fish-eaters. I have never seen them except on fair-sized 
streams, and the stomachs of those I have examined contained nothing but fish. 
Whilst waiting for fish, they perch very low down amongst the scrubby bushes 
bordering the streams, or else on some overhanging bamboo; but whatever the 
position selected, it seems nearly always to be one well in shadow, and, instead of 
sitting on some outside twig or bough, they choose one well inside or under the 
bush or bamboo clump. In the same manner their love of shade and darkness leads 
them always to select the shady side of the stream, whenever practicable. As a 
rule, they are to be found in pairs, seldom singly, for, though the male and female 
may be some distance apart, they keep within hailing distance of one another. 
They do not as a rule fly at all fast or far at a time, unless frightened, but on 
such occasions are capable of flying extremely fast and powerfully, rising high in 
the air, well out of gunshot, to avoid any danger, and then dropping again when 
past it continuing their flight low down close to the water. fiheii mannei of 
taking prey from the water is by swooping down obliquely towards it, after which 
