328 MR. W. J. F. WILLIAMSON ON 



Jerdoii, quoted b}' ]>l,aiiFoi'd (op. cil., p. 104), '• tlie li.ibit of occasional!}* 

 miking sudden darts in the air in all directions " at a rapid pace. I 

 have oiilj' observed these d-irtiiig flights during the breeding season, 

 so they are probably made for the purposes of display, and the bird 

 then shows that it jo^sesses considerable wing-power, contrasting 

 strikingly with its usual quiescent habits. 



Tlie Roller is generally rather a silent bird. Its ordinarj- note 

 (which is always heard more fre(|uently in the breeding season) is a 

 short and harsh clu'Ii, rheli, which is uttered botli when at rest and 

 while on the wing. It also has a louder screaming cry of che-ch, 

 cko-eli, che-eh, always produced while on the wing and very often 

 when performing the aerial evolutions referred to abovf. 



Family 3/i'7.'nP7i;.E'— Bfte-eaters. 



Siamese (general name), ^innijm — Nok khab-kha. 

 7o. Merops philippinus Linn. 77/c Blup-taiJed Bee-cater. 



Mrriijis jiliili/ip/iiiis, Ijliuifurd. Faiiu. 15rit. Imlin, I'.iiils, ill (189.')), 

 p. Ill; Ogilvic-Onint, I'^isr. Malav. Zonl., iii (19(15), p. 109: 

 [{(iliinsiiii niid Ivlciss. Ibis, 1911, p. 37 : (iaiidiicr. .Inuni. X. II. S. 

 Sinm. i, p. 1,50 (1915); P.ol.iu^on. Joiini. F. M. S. Miis., v, p. 

 140 (191o), niid vii, p. 1.52 (1917). 



Mi-ni/is sii/ieiriliiisii.i /i/d/i/i/iiiiii--^, (ivIdiMistolpc 191(% p. 110. 



Jlrffrtjitwii. Length up to '30-") mm. (12 in.), of wlii'-h thf tail 

 is 152 mm. (G in.). Lires and a streak past tiie eye to the ear- 

 coverts black, bordered above by a narrow pale verditer-blue superci- 

 liiini and below hj a broader blue line. Upper parts to rnmp, including 

 tlie wing-coverts, green with a rufous tinge, passing into the verditer- 

 blue of the ruiii|). u|)pi>r tail-coverts and tail: tertiaries sometimes bluish, 

 and sometimes green with lilnish tips and edges: niidd't> pair of ta,il- 

 feathers with long elongatr black tips, and all the tail-feat liers darkish 

 grc^y beneath ; wing-feathers ( e.\cept the tertiaries ) darker and more 

 rufous green than the baric, and lippi-d with blacic : chin yellowish ; 

 throat chestnut, passing into green on the breast, into greenish blue 

 on the abdomen, and then into j^ale blue on tlie vent and under tail- 

 coverts ; wing-lining light brownish rufous. 



Iris crimson. Hill black. Mouth ilesh-colour. Legs dark jtur- 



J(M'I)N. N.n'. III.ST. sue. .''I.VM. 



