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1921 .] Economic Status of the Kingfisher . 
I acknowledge with many thanks the kindness of the 
Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, in defray¬ 
ing the whole of the expenses in connection with this 
investigation. 
II. Historical. 
References to the food and feeding habits of the King¬ 
fisher are exceedingly few. Yarrell ( 10 ) states: “Its food 
consists of small crustaceans, aquatic insects, such as dragon¬ 
flies, water-beetles, and little fishes—especially minnows and 
sticklebacks, while leeches are also said to enter into its 
diet."” 
Butler (1) writes : “ Although very fond of small fish, 
these by no means constitute the sole food of the Kingfisher, 
for it is very fond of tadpoles and water-beetles ; moreover, 
many of the small fry which are eaten are quite useless for 
human consumption, so that the, bird has been treated with 
undeserved severity by pisciculturists, many of whom lose 
no opportunity of shooting it.” 
Newstead (8) examined the stomach-contents of nineteen 
specimens, in most of which he found minute and small fish¬ 
bones, one small gudgeon (Gohio fluviaiilis ), and remains of 
several water-boatmen (Notonecta glauca). 
Forbush (4) refers to the American species as eating 
grasshoppers, and Mason (7) quotes certain authorities as to 
A. ispida , in India, feeding upon small tishes, tadpoles, and 
aquatic insects. 
III. Field Investigations. 
1 . Abundance .—So far as I can learn from information 
supplied by different correspondents, the number of nesting 
sites has decreased during the last ten or twelve years, 
particularly in the following counties:—Cumberland, 
Cheshire, Devon, Hereford, Leicester, Middlesex, Warwick, 
Worcester, and Yorkshire. 
Messrs. Jourdain and Witherby (5), in their valuable 
report on the effect of the winter 1916-1917 on our resident 
birds, state : “ The diminution in the breeding stock is 
