South-eastern Sierra Leone. 225 



46. Melittophagus gularis. 



Melittophagus gularis Sharpe, Cat. B. xvii. p. 51 (1892) ; 

 id. Hand-1. B. ii. p. 73 (1900) ; Reichen. Vog. Afrikas, ii. 

 p. 312 (1902). 



Tikonko, February. Irides scarlet ; bill black ; feet and 

 claws dark slate-coloured. 



Bo: February, March, April, May, and August. 



These Bee-eaters leave the country in May, and return 

 about the middle of August in more ragged plumage than 

 when they are departing. They are not nearly so numerous 

 as Merops albicollis, but still they are common. 



47. Merops albicollis. 



Merops albicollis Yieill.; Sharpe, Cat. B. xvii. p. 76 (1 892) ; 

 id. Hand-1. B. ii. p. 74 (1900). 



Aerops albicollis Reichen. Vog. Afrikas, ii. p. 317 (1902). 



Rotif unk, March 1902. Irides blood-red ; bill black ; feet 

 greenish. 



Bo, January 1904. 



This is the commonest of our Bee-eaters, and can generally 

 be seen in considerable numbers about every town. It leaves 

 in April, flocking after the manner of Swallows, and returns 

 again in November, being away daring the entire rainy 

 season. 



48. Macrodiptervx loxgipennis. 



Macrodipteryx longipennis (Shaw); Sharpe, Hand-1. B. ii. 

 p. 74 (1900). 



Macrodipteryx macro dipt erics Afzel. ; Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. 

 p. 594 (1892) ; Reichen. Vog. Afrikas, ii. p. 370 (1902). 



Bo, June 1903 and January 1904. Iris black. 



When at rest the plumes of the f ull-pluinaged cock lie flat 

 upon the ground at the side of the tail aud extend beyond it, 

 and do not, as has been supposed by some authors, stand up 

 more or less vertically or stick out at right angles to the 

 plane of the wing. Similarly, when the birds are soaring in 

 the air the feathers point backwards, but when the birds are 

 actually flying and beating with the wing the streamers bend 

 upwards and flutter and flap about above the bird. 



