MEROPID^. 207 



A very closely allied species inhabits North-east Africa, formerly 

 considered the same. It is M. Lamar ckii of Cuvier, viridis apud 

 Ruppell, viridissvmus, Sw. & Bon., figured P. E. 740. 



118. Merops Philippensis, Lm. 



Jerdon, Cat. 240— Blyth, Cat. 232— Horsf., Cat. 105— M. 

 Javanicus, HoRSF., — M. typlcus, Hodgs. PL, Enl. 57 — Boro 

 putringa, Beng. — Burra putringa, H.-Komu passeriki, Tel. 



The Blue-tailed Bee-eater. 



Descr. — Head, neck, back, wing-coverts, and tertiaries, dull 

 grass-green, with more or less rufous gloss ; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts bright azure-blue ; a black eye streak from the base of both 

 mandibles to the end of the ear-coverts, with a pale blue 

 line beneath ; quills dull green, rufous toAvards the edge of the 

 inner webs, and black-tipped ; tail dull blue ; chin yellow-white ; 

 throat dark ferruginous, extending to the sides of the face and 

 neck as far as the end of the ear-coverts ; breast and upper abdo- 

 men green, glossed with rufous ; lower abdomen and vent paler, 

 and with a blue tinge, and the under tall-coverts pale blue. 

 The tail is nearly even, with the centre pair of feathers elongate, 

 and the pair next them slightly shorter. 



Bill black ; irides crimson ; feet dusky plumbous. Total length 

 to end of mid tail-feathers 12 to 12|- ; wingS^; tail, outer feathers 

 3^, extending 1^ inch beyond wing ; centre pair 2^ inches more; 

 bill at front ly^^j ; tarsus ^ inch. 



This handsome Bee-eater is spread more or less over all India, and 

 Burmah, extending to Ceylon in the south, and to the Malay penin- 

 sula and islands in the east. It prefers forest-countries, and well- 

 Avooded districts, and, though generally spread, is yet somewhat 

 locally distributed, and you may pass over considerable tracts of 

 country without meeting one. The Malabar coast is always a favorite 

 haunt, and this Bee-eater appears to prefer the neighbourhood of 

 water. It is sometimes found in the Wynaad, and other elevated 

 regions of Malabar, but in general prefers a low level. It is mostly 

 observed in scattered parties, perching on high trees, often among 

 paddy fields, and it in general takes a much longer circuit than the 



