ohseri'ed in the District of Beiva. 39 



117. Melittophagus meridionalis, Sharpo. Little Bee- 

 eater. 



Very common, nests in the banks along the railway. I 

 found young birds in November 1907. 



118. DicROCERCUs HiRUNDiNEUS (Lcht.). Swallow-tailed 

 Bee-eater. 



I found a nest on October 5th, built in the sand under a 

 path used daily. Tunnel length 2' 6", diam. 1^", and oval 

 chamber about G'' diam. It contained four eggs, very much 

 incubated, oval, and of a pure white and shiny, size y x f . 

 They were laid on bare sand. The female flew ofE the nest 

 just as I approached. I followed her up into a wood close 

 by and shot her ; I saw the male but could not procure him. 

 It was only by the merest chance that I found the nest, as it 

 was in the side of a drain on the plantation ; this drain was 

 being cleaned out in readiness for the rainy season, and on 

 seeing the hole, I dug it out, thinking to find eggs of meri- 

 dionalis. Previous to this, I had never once seen either of 

 the parent birds, although I walk over the path and the nest- 

 hole three or four times every day. 



I found another nest on October 29th, built in the em- 

 bankment on the side of the railway ; structure similar to 

 above, but not so deep in. It contained three eggs, of a beautiful 

 rich salmon-pink colour, but after blowing they were pure 

 white, shiny, and quite clear, of the same size as above. I 

 saw one of the parent birds leave the nest^ which I followed 

 up and shot (female) ; after waiting hidden near the hole 

 for a long time, the male appeared, which I also shor. 

 About a mile further along the line I came across a tree on 

 which there were quite a dozen, and by hiding under a thick 

 bush I managed to shoot five (two males, two females, and a 

 young one) . Their flight is very similar to that of M. meri- 

 dionalis, but they keep to higher trees and are much more 

 shy. 



119. Halcyon albiventris (Scop.). Brown-hooded 

 Kingfisher. 



One of the most ))lonliful of the Kingfishers in the 

 district. 



