File:The royal natural history (1893) (14598135648).jpg

Identifier: royalnaturalhist47lyde (find matches)
Title: The royal natural history
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915 Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Frostick, W. B., former owner. DSI Brooks, W. T., former owner. DSI
Subjects: Zoology Natural history
Publisher: London and New York : Frederick Warne & Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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e. In India this birdis found in all kinds of situations, often far away from water. In Kachar, Mr.Stuart Baker has found the nest composed of a few Layers of loose moss withwhich the bird fills up a crevice in a rock. In most instances, however, there isno attempt at a nest, the eggs being deposited on the floor of the chamlxn- at theend of the tunnel. Mr. Baker says that fish form a very minor part of the birds 78 PICARIAN BIRDS. diet, the principal part of which consists of locusts and crickets; and these it takesby swooping down on them from some perch, as if diving after fish, and seizingthem from the bushes and grass, without halting in its flight. It also capturesprawns, small crabs, and water insects from stagnant pools, and he has once ortwice seen it take cicalas from the trunk of a tree. These kingfishers are veryplentiful in Africa, one of the most beautiful species being the African white-breasted kingfisher (H. semicoerulea), which has an entirely red bill, and is easily
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.\FRICAN WHITE-BREASTED KINGFISHER (3 Iiat. size distinguished by its ashy white head and chestnut breast and under wing-coverts;the back being black, witli the lower part bright blue, while the outer surfaces of thewings and tail are blue; and the throat and chest ashy white like the head. Thelength of the bird is about 8 inches, and the wing 4 inches. This species is foundover the greater part of Africa, as far as the Zanzibar district on the east, andto Angola on the west, being replaced in Southern Africa by an allied species(H. ^mllidiventris), and by H. erythrogaster in the Cape Verde Islands. VonHueglin states that in North-Eastern Africa he found the present species both near ROLLERS. 79 water and in the wooded districts. It feeds on beetles and other insects, butalso catches fish, which it seems to prefer.Long-Tailed In the genus Tanysiptera the number of tail-feathers is reduced Kingfishers, to ten, of which the central ones are greatly elongated, and exceedthe body in lengt

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