5(j Mr. E. C. Taylor— Eg i/pt Revisited. 



the two other species of Bee-eaters are not. I do not know 

 when this bird begins to lay ; it had not done so by the begin- 

 ning of April. 



35. Merops persicus, Pallas. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. 



I shot a pair of these birds at Benisouef, on March 26th, 

 which was the first time I saw the species. From that time 

 they became plentiful. I found them tame, and much given to 

 perching on telegraph-wires. 



36. Merops apiaster, L. European Bee-eater. 



I did not see this species until April ; so I conclude it arrived 

 later than M. persicus. I found it less abundant than that spe- 

 cies, and much wilder and less easy to shoot. 



37. Alcedo ispiDA, L. Kingfisher. 



By no means a common bird. I saw it more frequently near 

 Cairo than anywhere else. 



38. Ceryle rudis (L.). Black-and-white Kingfisher. 

 Very abundant. I found it breeding in April, but saw no 



signs of its doing so even in February, though Dr. Adams says 

 that " it breeds early in December" (Ibis, 1864, p. 15). I 

 agree with that gentleman that the male has a double band of 

 black across the breast, the female a single one. 



39. Upupa epops, L. Hoopoe. 



Very common throughout the winter. Breeds in March, 

 when we procured both eggs and young in Upper Egypt. 



40. Caprimulgus isABELLiNUS, Temmiuck. Cream-colonred 

 Nightjar. 



Specimens procured on my first visit. 



41. Cypselus apus (L.). Common Swift. 



Resident through the winter, and abundant in Upper Egypt. 

 The Swifts in Egypt differ in colour from any that I have seen 

 in Europe; they are much paler, and more grey than black; 

 still I believe they are not considered specifically distinct. 



42. HiRUNDO RiocouRii, Audouiu ; H. cahirica, Licht. 

 Cairene Swallow. 



Resident throughout the winter, and very abundant from Cairo 



