THE BEE- EATERS. 53 



the species in Southern S[)ain, says tliat there is nothing dis- 

 tinctive about its food and habits. In the southern half of 

 the Spanish Peninsula it "frequents the cool chequered shade 

 of the woods during the greater part of the day." 



Eggs. — Similar to those of C. eiiropccus, but rather larger and 

 more boldly marked. Axis, yz-vt, inch; diam., 0-9-1 -q. 



THE BEE-EATERS. SUB-ORDER MEROPES. 



This is a group of birds confined to the Old World. Five 

 genera are recognised, all very similar in structure, appearance, 

 and habits, the birds being generally of bright coloration, with 

 a curved bill, and long wing and tail. The latter is sometimes 

 forked, sometimes square, but in the typical species the middle 

 tail-feathers are elongated. 



The palate is bridged or desmognathous, and there are no 

 basipterygoid processes present. The breast-bone has four 

 notches on its hinder margin, and the episternal process is 

 perforated so that the foot of each coracoid meets through this 

 opening : as a rule in birds the coracoids are kept apart at the 

 base by this process. This is a singular character, found in 

 Game-I3irds, and also in the Hoopoes and Hornbills. The 

 feet are syndactyle or gressorial, the sole being flat and the 

 toes united together, as in the Kingfishers and other groups 

 of birds, which were formerly united under the name of 

 " Fissirostres," or "Wide-gaping Birds," of which the Bee-Eaters 

 were always reckoned a component Family. The fourth toe is 

 united to the third as far as the last joint, the secontl toe being 

 united to the middle one for the basal joint only. The tail- 

 feathers are only ten in number. 



The bill is long and gently decurred, both mandibles follow- 

 ing the same direction at the tip. 



The Bee-Eaters are, as a rule, resident birds in the countries 

 in which they live. Africa possesses the greatest number of 

 species, but those which range into the temperate portions of 

 the Northern Hemisphere are migratory, and only appear in 

 summer, and then never go very far north. Species are found 

 in most of the tropical portions of the Old World, and range 

 south to the Malay Archipelago and Australia. 



