Descriptive List of the Common Birds 



and is said to leave the island of Bombay in 

 the hot weather. (Illus. B. D., p. 82 ; also 

 B. B., p. 42, and G. B., p. 64.) 



117. Merops philippifius : The Blue-tailed 

 Bee-eater. (F. 1027), (J. 118), (II, but with 

 rather a long tail.) 



General hue green, shot with bronze ; the 

 tail is bluish. There is a broad black streak 

 running through the eye. The chin is a dirty 

 cream colour. The throat is chestnut-red. 

 The eye is bright red. 



This species is a larger and less beautiful 

 edition of No. 116. Like the latter it under- 

 goes partial migration, being a summer visitor 

 to N. India and a winter visitor to S. India. 

 One sees large numbers of these birds when 

 out snipe shooting in Madras. They perch on 

 the bafids between the flooded fields and make 

 sallies into the air after insects. The note is 

 a feeble but mellow whistle. 



The Kingfishers, 11 8-1 20 



These form a very weU-marked group of 

 piscatorial birds, characterised bv long bills 

 and short tails. They nest in holes in river 

 banks. 



L 161 



