MEROPID^. 109 



Suborder MEBOPES. 



Only the left carotid is present. The manubrium sterni is 

 trifid, the inner portion being forked, and the outer single. 

 Behind the spine is a foramen as in Uptijndce and Bucerotidce. 

 Cervical vertebrae 15. The flexor perforans digitorum gives off 

 from its inner side the slip which supplies the hallux, before 

 blending with the /. longiis hallucis. The conjoined tendons 

 then di^ade into three to supply the other toes. Other characters 

 as in Coracke. 



A single family. 



Family MEROPIDiE. 



Bill long, slender, and curved throughout, culmen ridged, both 

 mandibles pointed ; legs and feet feeble, syndactyle, the outer or 

 fourth toe united to the third or middle toe as far as the last 

 joint, second and third toes united by the basal joint only. Tail- 

 feathers 12. Primaries 10. Sexes alike or nearly so. 



Key to tJie Genera. 



a. Breast-plumes not elongate ; wing pointed ; 



2nd quill longest. 

 a'. Middle pair of tail-feathers much longer 



than the others Merops, p. 109. 



b'. Middle tail-feathers not longer Melittophagus, p. 114. 



b. Breast-])lumes elongate, pendent, and 



brightly coloured ; wing rounded ; 4th 



quill longest Nyctiornis, p. 115. 



Genus MEEOPS, Linn., 1766. 



Bill very long, slender, and pointed, nostrils partially covered 

 by plumes ; a few small rictal bristles at the base of the bill ; wings 

 long, pointed, 1st primary minute, 2nd longest ; the two middle 

 tail-feathers longer than the others, and with their terminal 

 portion narrow. 



The genus ranges throughout the greater part of the Old 

 World ; four species are Indian. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Throat green or chestnut ; middle tail-feathers 



exceed others by more than length of 



culmen. 

 «'. Throat green or bluish green : wing 3-6 . . M. viridis, p. 110. 

 b' . Chin yellow, throat chestnut : wing 5-6. 



a''. Tail blue above 31. j)hilippvnts, p. 111. 



b". Tail green above M. j^ersims, p. 112. 



b. Chin and throat yellow ; middle tail-feathers 



exceed outer by less than length of culmen . M. apiastei', p. 113. 



