2. MELITTOPHAGUS. 47 



2. Melittophagriis pusillus. (Plate I. fig. 5.) 



Guepier rouge et vert du Senegal, Month. II. N. Ois. vi. p 507 

 (1779). 



Petit Guepier du SeniSgal, Daubent. PL Enl. vi. p]. .'!18. 



Merops pusillus, P. L. S. Miill. S. N. Siijipl. p. 95 (1776) ; Cass. 

 Proc. PhUad. Acad. 1864, p. 244 ; Shelley S,- Buckley, Ibis, 1872, 

 p. -im; Ussher, Ibis, 1874, p. 48 j Shelley, Ibis, 1883, p. o56; 

 Ha,ie>%J.f.O.\88Q,^.om. ^' ' 'F 



Muscicapa bicolor, Bodd. Tabl. PL EnL p. 19 (1783). 



Merops ervtliropterus, Gm. S. N. i. p. 464(1788); VieilL N. Diet. 

 d'Hist. Nat. xiv. p. 22 (1817) ; Swains. B. W. Afr. p 88 (1837) : 

 Rilpp. Syst. Uehers. p. 24 (184o) ; StricU. P. Z. S. 1850, p. 216 • 

 HarU. Oni. W.-Afr. p. 40 (1857); id. J. f. O. 1861, p. 107- 

 Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 208 (1869) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1809, p. 385; 

 Bkmf. GeoL Sr ZouL Abyss, p. 322 (1870) ; Antin. ^- Salvad. 

 J layy. Boyos, p. 67 (1873) ; Forbes, Ibis, 1883, p. 522 ; Buttik 

 Notes Leyd. Mus. vii. p. 167 (1885), viii. p. 249 (1886), x. pn 71. 

 219 (1888). V /' ri ) 



Le Guepier minule, Lemill. H. N. Guepiers, iii. p. 53, pi 17 (1807) • 



VieilL N. Diet, d'llist. Nat. xiv. p. 18 (1817). 

 Merops coUaris, VieilL N. Diet d'Hist. Nat. xiv. p. 16 (1817) • Hartl 



^■,'onJ^'-'^-^''- P- ^^ ^^^■^"'' ' ^''^y> -2^a«(^-^. B. i. p. 101, no. 1223 



(1869). 



Merops minutus, Bonn, et Vieill. Enc. Meth. i. p. 392 (1823 ev 

 LemiilL). ' 



Melittopbagus erythropterus, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316 ; Gray, Gen B 

 1. p. 86(1846); id. Cat. Fissir. Brit. Mus. p. 71 (lS48)- V 

 Consp. 1. p. 163 (1850) ; Cab. ^- Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 1;3,5 

 (1860); HartL AhhandL nat. Ver. Bremen, vii. p 111 (lf;8->) • 

 Antm.Cat.descr.Ucc.^.^^(lSQ,i). v -/ - 



Merops minulus, Cuvier, Regne An. i. p. 422 (1829). 



Merops pusilla, Swains. B. W. Afr. ii. p. 89 (1837)! 



Merops minullus, A. E. Brehm, J.f. O. 1853, p. 75. 



Merops minutus (yiec V.), Finsch, Trans. Z.'s. vii! p ^o.g (1870)- 



''hJ' ^"''^^- ^^i^- O*'^"/'-- P- 188 (1870, pt.); Reichen. J f O 

 18/0, p. 18. J- • 



Melittopbagus pusillus, Dresser, 3Ionoyr. Merop. p. HI pi 95 

 (1885, pt.). » i- • - 



Adult male. Similar to M. meridlonalis, but without the distinct 

 blue streak above the eye, but showing either an emerald-o-reen 

 cyehd or a tiny spot of blue: "bill black; feet grey; iris red" 

 {Van Heuglin). Total length 6-8 inches, culmen 1-2 wino- 3-2 

 tail 2-55, tarsus 0-35. ' ^ ' 



In the young bird, according to Hr. Hartert, the iris is hazel- 

 brown. 



Hah. N.E. Africa and West Africa from Senegambia to the Ni<?er 

 and Cameroons. 



a. Ad. sk. Senegal (d'Einville). Eiocour CoU. 



KA T- Senegambia. Governor Kendall TP.]. 



c. Ad. sk. River Gambia (Sir A. Shelley Coll. 



Molo7iey). 



^, cAdsk River Gambia. Sbarpe Coll. 



/, /7, /i. Ad. sk. r Riitee (Gover?ior Ussher). Sbellev Coll 



i. Ad. sk. Denkera, Dec. (H. F. Blissett). Sbarpe Coll' 



