46 FRIENDS OF THE AGRICULTURIST 



BEE-EATERS 



The Bee-eater Family (Meropidce) is perhaps a better 

 known group in South Africa, being more widely distributed 

 than the preceding family. 



The first species is the European Bee-eater (Merops 

 apiaster), commonly known to the Boers as the Berg 

 Zwaluw (Mountain Swallow). It is of a dark chestnut on 

 the upper back, fading into pale cinnamon colour on the 

 lower back and rump. Upper and least wing-coverts and 

 fail green. Central tail-feathers lengthened and pointed. 

 Throat yellow, followed by a black band and the remainder 

 of the under-surface greenish-blue. Length to outer tail- 

 feathers about 9| inches. 



It is a migrant from Southern Europe and Central Asia, 

 arriving in October or November, and is somewhat evenly 

 distributed over South Africa- during our summer, being, how- 

 ever, scarce in the Eastern Cape Province. They hawk their 

 insect prey on the wing, being very partial to bees and wasps. 



This bird is amongst the few northern migrants which 

 breed in South x\frica as well as in the Northern Hemisphere. 

 Eggs were taken by Jackson, W. Gr. Fairbridge, and !.. T. 

 Griffin. It lays white eggs in holes bored in the bank of a 

 donga or river (similar to the Kingfishers). 



There is another migratory species from oversea, this 

 being the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater [M. persicus) from south- 

 west Asia and north-west India. This species is slightly 

 larger than the preceding, and differs in having the upper 

 surface of a bright green colour, the cheeks dark blue, and 

 the throat chestnut. 



The Carmine-throated Bee-eater (M. nitbicoides) may be 

 considered one of the loveliest of South African birds. The 



top of the head is green, the centre of the hack and upper 

 wing crimson, and the rump region bright cobalt-blue. 



