MEROPS. 341 



36.^; t.aTSUS, 11; middle toe with claw, 20. Eight females, length, 267 ; 

 of bees. Six males average, 2S2 in length; wing, 114; tail, 100; culmen, 

 wing, 112; tail, 91; culmen, ;U ; tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw, 19." 

 (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



304. MEROPS PHILIPPINUS LinmTiis. 



GREEK-HEADED BEEBIRD. 



Merops philippinus LiNN.EUS. Syst. Nat. eel. 12 (1700), 1, 183; in errata; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1802). 17, 71; Hand-List (1900), 2, 

 74-; Blanfori), Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1895), 3, 111, fig. 31 (head); 

 Meykr and Wiglesworth, Bds. Celebes (1898), 1, 253, pi. 8, fig. 2 

 (tail); McGregor and Worcester, Hand- List (1900). 57; Oates and 

 Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1903), 3, 51. 



Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan {Steere Exp., Bourns d- Worcc'itrr) ; Bazol 

 [Everett); Bohol (Everett, McGregor) ; Cebu (Murray, Steere Exp.. Bourns d 

 Worcester, McGregor) ; Guiniaras (Steere Exp.) ; Leyte (Everett) ; Luzon (Meyer, 

 Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns d- Worcester. Whitehead, McGregor) ; Masbate 

 (Bourns d Worcester) ; Mindanao (Steere, Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns d Wor- 

 cester) ; Mindoro (McGregor) ; Negros (Meyer, Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns d 

 Worcester, Keay) ; Panay (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns d Worcester) ; Samar 

 (Bourns d Worcester) ; Sibuyan (McGregor) ; Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns d 

 Worcester, Celesfino) ; Sulu (Bourns d Worecsler) ; Tawi Tawi (Botirns d Wor- 

 cester). INIalay and Indian Peninsulas, Indo-Chinese Provinces, Ceylon, Celebes, 

 Malayan islands. 



Adult (se.ves alike). — Above dark green mixed with a little dull chest- 

 nut; occasional touches of blue on head; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 cerulean-blue ; a narrow line of blue across forehead, ending on each side 

 over posterior border of eye; a broad black liand from nostril through 

 eye to and including ear-coverts; chin light yellow; a wide chestnut band 

 on throat; breast, sides, and abdomen green, mixed with ocherous-buflf 

 and touches of pale greenish blue ; vent and under tail-coverts delicate 

 sky-blue; wings and tail nearly as in Merops aniericanus. Iris red; bill, 

 legs, and nails black. Length, with a full-grown tail, about 305. Meas- 

 urements of three males from Luzon: Wing, 126 to 133; tail, without 

 central pair of feathers, 89 to 93; bill from nostril, 35 to 36. Three 

 females from Luzon: Wing, 124 to 125; tail, without long feathers, 89 

 to 91 ; bill from nostril, 31 to 315. 



Young. — "Much duller in color generally, with the blue tail and rump 

 of the adult, but without the blue eyebrow, this being replaced by a little 

 lighter green shade than on the crown ; cheeks pale green ; throat pale 

 brownish." (Sharpe.) 



"We can not agree with Dr. Steere that M. philippinus feeds only 

 singly or in pairs, having repeatedly seen it feeding in large flocks, and 

 even in company with M. americanus. 



"Iris red; legs and feet dark brown; nails and bill blaek. Six males 

 average. 255 in Icnutb ; wing. 122: tail. 91; i-uhuen. 3() ; tarsus, 11; 



