48 Mr. H. T. Usshcr on the 



noon. The birds captured by Captain Hayncs and myself 

 had their nests inside the room ; but these contained neither 

 eggs nor young birds. 



20. Merops albicolliSj V. : Sharpe, /, c. p. 3. 

 Exceedingly common in everj^ part of Fantee and the Gold 



Coast. It can always be observed in the vicinity of Cape 

 Coast^ especially about bush-paths and hollow roads towards 

 evening, when it may occasionally be seen to collect in large 

 numbers, hawking after insects and occasionally resting on 

 bushes or low branches of large trees. I have never seen this 

 Bee-eater alone, and should consider it decidedly gregarious. 

 It has no especial peculiarity in its habits to distinguish it. 



21. Merops malibmicus, Shaw: Sharpe, I.e. p. 3. 



I have received two specimens of this bird from Aubinn,. 

 but I do not consider it a common bird in Fantee. 



22. Merops pusillus (Miill.) : Sharpe, p. 4. 



Tolerably common on the plains of Accra, where it is 

 certainly gregarious, as I have never met vnih solitary 

 specimens. 



23. Meropiscus gularis (Shaw) : Sharpe, p. 4. 



This very beautiful little Bee-eater is tolerably common in 

 Fantee, and is occasionally seen in company with M. albi- 

 collis ; but whereas the latter species keeps very low, affect- 

 ing small bushes or the lower branches of trees, the present 

 bird invariably selects the highest vantage point it can find, 

 a naked branch in preference to a leafy one, from which it 

 makes occasional sallies after its prey. I have never observed 

 more than three or four together, whereas M. albicollis is 

 sometimes met with in very large numbers at a time. The 

 vicinity of water appears to be selected by M. gularis in pre- 

 ference to any other situation. 



24. Eurystomus afer (Lath.) : Sharpe, p. 5. 



This bird, unlike its congener, E. gularis, is usually obser- 

 vable only on the plains of Accra and in the eastern districts 

 of the Gold Coast. It is generally found in pairs, and in fuU 

 plumage presents a handsome appearance. Its habits appear 



