70 IVlKKoriDJE. 



.vK Ad. sk. Yaiubuya, Upper Coiij^o (J. Mrs. Jameson [P.]. 



<S. Jameson). 

 y". Skeleton. Abyssinia. W. Jesse, Esq. [C.]. 



6. Merops superciliosus. 



Le Giiepier de Madagascar, Briss. Oni. iv. p. 545, pi. xlii. fig. 1 

 (1700) ; Daubimt. I'l. Enl. \i. pi. 259. 



Merops superciliosus, Linn. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 183 (1706) ; Vieill. N. 

 Diet. d'Hist. Nut. xiv. p. if) (1817) ; Gratj, Gen. B. i. p. 8G (1846) ; 

 Bp. Consj}. i. p. 161 (1850) ; Cab. Sf Heine, Mus. Hein. Tb. ii. p. 140 

 (1860) ; Hartl. Faim. Maday. p. ;!2 (1861) ; Roch ^ E. Newt. Ibis, 

 1862, p. 272 ; E. Newt. Ibis, 1863, p. 34 ; Scl. Ibis, 1864, pp. 295, 

 299; Schl. Sf Foil. Faune Maday., Ois. p. 60 (18C'8) ; Sperling, Ibis, 

 1868, p. 288 ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 99, no. 1204 (1869) ; Hevgl. 

 Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 197 (1869, pt.) ; Finsch Sr Hartl. Voq. Ostafr. 

 p. 178 (1870, pt.) ; Blanf. Geol. 8f Zool. Abyss, p. 22i (1870) ; 

 Sharpe, Ibis, 1870, p. 429 ; Antin. Sf Salvad. Viaqg. lioqos, p. 65 

 (1873) ; Barratt, Ibis, 1876, p. 197 ; E. Ne2vt. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 297 ; 

 Hartl. Vog. Madag. p. 81 (1877) ; Reichen. J. f. 0. 1877, p. 21 ; 

 Nichols. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 355 ; Cab. J.f. O. 1878, p. 235 ; Fischer 

 ^ Reichen. J.f. 0. 1878, p. 256 ; Hartl. Abhandl. nat. Ver. Bremen, 

 vii. p. Ill (1881) ; Pelz. Verh. z.-b. Ges. Wien, xxxii. p. 500 (1881) ; 

 Shelley, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 568; Giumey, Ibis, 1881, p. 126, 1882, 

 p. 75 ; Fischer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i. p. 360 (1884) ; JDresser, 

 Monoyr. Merop. p. 71, pi. 17 (1884) ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. 

 Genov. (2) i. p. 107 (1884) ; Sotcza, Jorn. Lisb. 1886, xi. p. 82 ; 

 Oust. Bibl. haut. Etudes, xxxi. art. 10, p. 4 (1886) ; Reichen. 

 J. f. O. 1887, p. 61 ; Matschie, t. c. p. 140 ; Reicheyi. t. c. p. 308 ; 

 Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Ge7iov. (2) ti. p. 221 (1888) ; Shelley, Ibis, 

 1888, p. 296; Souza, Jorn. Lisb. (2) 1889, no. 11, p. 113; Shelley, 

 Ibis, 1890, p. 267. 



Le Patirich, Montb. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 495 (1779). 



Supercilious Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. pt. 2, p. 673 (1782). 



Le Guepier rousse-tete ou Le Guepier Bonelli, Levaill. Hist. Nat. 

 Gut-piers, iii. p. 57, pi. 19 (1807). 



Merops ruficapillus, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xiv. p. 23 (1817). 



Merops vaillauti, Bp. Consp. i. p. 161 (1850). 



Merops segyptius (nee Forsk.), Reiche?ib. Handb., Mero}). p. 64, 

 Taf. 443 B. figs. 3545-46 (1852). 



Blepbaromerops aegyptius, Reichenb. t. c. p. 82 (1852). 



Blepharomerops superciliosus, Reichenb. t. c. p. 82 (1852). 



Adult male. Similar to M. cegi/ptius, and having a golden-olive 

 or greenish tail, but distinguished by having a reddish-brown head, 

 contrasting with the light green back, and also by the absence of 

 blue on the forehead and checks ; the forehead white at base, as 

 well as the eyebrow and the upper edge of the eyelid, which have 

 a greenish tinge ; the cheeks conspicuously white : " bill black, feet 

 blackish, iris hrick-rod" (A. Granclidier). Total length 12 inches, 

 culmen 1-8, wing 5-5, tail 3'25, central feathers 5'5, tarsus 0-45. 



Hab. Madagascar and the adjacent islands, occun-ing in various 

 parts of the African continent, but appai'cntly somewhat local. 



a. Ad. sk. Madagascar (F. Plant). Jardine Coll. 



b. Ad. sk. Madagascar. G. F. Scott Elliot, Esq. [P.]. 



c. d. Ad. sk. 3Iadagascar. Mr. Gerrard [C."'. 



