to the Ornitltuloyy of Eyypt. 483 



121. Merops persicus. 

 Merops Oigyptius Shelley, p. 170. 



Merops persicus Sharpe, Cat. B. xvii. p. 66. 



The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater appears to pass through the 

 Province a little earlier tlian the preceding species. It 

 probably breeds iu certain parts of the Province. Major 

 S{)arrow tells me that he has seen it near Mazghouna in 

 April, and from the appearance of specimens obtained in the 

 Delta in May I have little doubt that they were about to 

 nest there. 



122. Merops viridis. 

 Merops viridis Shelley, p. 171. 



The Little Green Bee-eater is a resident and breeds in 

 the Ciiza Province. Dr. Walter Innes tells me that he has 

 taken eggs near Mazghouna, where the bird nests in holes 

 in the ground amongst the " Sont " (Acacia) trees. 



123. Upupa epops epops. 

 Upupa epops Shelley, p. 155. 



The Hoopoe is a regular visitor to the Province during 

 the spring and autumn migrations. 



124. Upupa epops major. 



Upupa major Brehm, Vogelfang, p. 78 (1855). 



A number of Hoopoes arc resident in Lower Egypt, and 

 examples of these, obtained in the Delta during the winter 

 by Mr. J. L. Bonhote and myself, exactly match Brehm's 

 type of U. major — which is a female adult (16/3/49) obtained 

 by von Miiller's expedition in Egypt and now preserved in 

 the Tring Museum. 



The following is a translation of Brehm's description of 

 this bird : — ''It is | larger than all others, up to 12" large, 

 21" length of bill.'' 



In our specimens the bill is always longer, and much 

 deeper at the base, than in European examples and those 

 obtained in Giza during migration. Some of them agree in 

 size with Brehm's type, but the majority are not markedly 

 larger than the common form, except as regards the bill. 



This is a perfectly good form and it is interesting to 



