112 MEEOPID.E. 



the tip ; chin yellow ; throat chestnut, passing into green on the 

 breast, this passes into pale blue round the vent and on the lower 

 tail-coverts ; wing-lining light brownish rufous. 



Bill black ; irides crimson ; legs dusky plumbeous {Jerclon). 



Length about 12 ; tail b-Q, outer feathers only 3-5 ; wing 5-25 ; 

 tarsus "5 ; bill from gape 2. 



Fig. 31. — Head of M. philippinus. 



Bhirihvtion. Throughout the greater part of the Oriental 

 region. This Bee-eater is generally but somewhat locally dis- 

 tributed over India, Ceylon, and Burma, extending west to Sind, 

 but not found in the Himalayas. 



Hahits, ^c. A resident species, but partially migratory in many 

 places, and in Ceylon merely a winter visitant ; it keeps much to 

 forest countries and weU-wooded districts, and generally breeds in 

 the banks of rivers. It feeds on wasps, bees, dragontlies, beetles, 

 and even butterflies. It sometimes congregates in large numbers, 

 but is more often seen in small companies or singly. Its voice is 

 described by Jerdon as a full, mellow, roUing whistle. It breeds, 

 usually in large colonies, from March to June, in a hole 4 to 7 

 feet long, the egg-chamber being occasionally lined with grass or 

 feathers ; it lays usually four or five white, glossy, nearly spherical 

 eggs, measuring about '88 by uQ. 



1028. Merops persicus. Tlte Blue-chceTi-ed Bee-eater. 



Merops persicus, Pall. Reis. Russ. ReicJis, ii, Anhang, p. 708 (1773) 

 Bhjth, Cat. p. 52 ; Davids, i^ Wend. S. F. vii, p. 77 ; Hume, Cat 

 no. 120; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 429; Davidson, S. F. x, p. 29.5 

 Barnes, Birds Bomb. p. 95 ; Sivinhoe l^ Barnes, Ibis, 1885, p. 61 

 Dresser, Mon. Mer. p. 03, pi. xvi ; St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. 157 

 Oates in Humes N. Sf E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 65 ; Shar2W, Cat. B. M. 

 xvii, p. 66. 



Merops eegyptius, Forsk. Descr. An., Aves, p. 1 (1776) ; Horsf. 8r M. 

 Cat. i, p. 89 ; Jerdon, B. Ii, p. 209 ; O. F. L. Marshall, Ibis, 1872, 

 p. 203 ; Hmne, S. F. i. p. 167 ; iii, p. 326 ; Adam, S. F. i, p. 371 ; 

 Butler, S. F. iii, p. 456; vii, p. 181. 

 The Egyptian Bee-eater, Jerdon. 



Coloration. Very similar to M. plnlippimis,h\^t greener. Fore- 

 head white, passing into verditer-blue, which unites the long blue 

 supercilia ; a black streak through the lores past the eye to the 



