Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 209 
In Dr. Latham's first description* of his Merops ornatus, a 
New Holland species of this genus not in the Society's collec- 
tion, a bird is alluded to, which was figured in Mr. Lambert's 
collection of drawings, and whose characters nearly accord 
with the bird before us. Dr. Latham conjectures it to be the 
female of M. ornatus. In the second edition of his workt, he 
repeats the same observation, but does not refer to the speci- 
mens in the Society's museum. One of the birds, however, in 
the collection is a male, as we find recorded in Mr. Caley's 
notes. Dr. Latham's conjecture respecting sex consequently 
proves erroneous. And the two specimens from which our above 
description is taken, according in every particular with each 
other, and exhibiting a fine state of preservation, are so distinct 
from M. ornatus, that we cannot consider ourselves authorised 
to come at once to the conclusion that they are varieties of that 
species. The tail in our bird is black, which in M. ornatus is 
chestnut ; and the fore part of the head is of the same colour as 
the back, while in Dr. Latham's bird it is dull orange}. Both | 
these species differ from the M. viridis of Linnæus by their 
greater size; by the throat being orange-yellow instead of blue, 
and by having a conspicuous longitudinal streak of light blue 
immediately under the black band that passes beneath the eye. 
The rectrices also of the Indian Bee-Eater are green above, while 
in the other two species they are either black or chestnut. 
Mr. Caley informs us, that the specimens in the Society's 
collection were brought to him dead: he never had an oppor- 
tunity of seeing the bird in its living state. He was told that it 
was a bird of passage, and bred near the conflux of the Grose 
with the Hawkesbury River. Its nest was said to be in the 
T Gen. Syn. Supp. ii. p. 155. no. 16. + Vol. iv. p. 130. no. 9. 
+ The bird which Mr. Lewin has figured in his “ Birds of New Holland" (pi. 2.), 
and which he has referred to Dr. Latham's Merops ornatus, seems rather to belong to 
our species. 
VOL. XV. 2E sandy 
