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322 BRITISH BIRDS. 
present species, the explanation will probably be that there exists a southern 
colony of this bird whose breeding-range is overlapped by the winter range 
of the main colony in Europe, and that the birds of this southern colony 
winter somewhere in Central Africa. 
The migration of the Common Bee-eater from Africa to its breeding- 
grounds in Southern Europe commences in April. Irby says that at 
Gibraltar they may be generally seen in the morning in successive flocks 
from the end of March to the beginning of May, the earliest birds to 
arrive, as is the case with other migratory species, being those that breed 
in the immediate neighbourhood, the later arrivals migrating further north. 
In the east of Europe the period of its migration is during the month of 
April. In Greece and Asia Minor it arrives about the Ist of April; and 
Shelley saw it passing through Egypt on its way north on the 10th of 
that month. Heuglin says that it is common throughout North-east 
Africa from the end of March to the beginning of May. They leave 
Europe for their winter-quarters during August and September, many 
even departing by the end of July. They appear to migrate at night in the 
autumn. 
Unlike so many showy birds that seek to hide their charms amongst 
the deepest foliage, the Bee-eater is extremely partial to the open country, 
quite as much so as Swallows and Swifts, which birds it resembles in 
many of its habits. It haunts those situations which afford it a suitable 
breeding-place ; and it takes up its quarters. wherever there are convenient 
banks or earth-cliffs, especially if they are near to water, although this 
is not imperative. In these localities it is mcessantly coming before the 
observer’s notice, either gliding about in graceful flight, wheeling round 
and round, or perching conspicuously on the trees or bushes or the 
telegraph-wires. The valley of the Danube is a favourite retreat of the 
Bee-eater; and as the traveller journeys down this river, this bird is 
frequently to be seen wherever the banks are steep and sandy. It is 
gregarious, and great numbers live together, making a charming effect as 
the sun glances on their brilliant plumage, which is constantly being ex- 
posed in different positions as the birds gambol and wheel and turn. 
The flight of the Bee-eater is easy and buoyant in the extreme. They 
have a curious habit of shooting themselves forward by jerks, and remaining 
for a few moments suspended in the air, with wings and tail expanded, 
apparently for no other reason than to amuse themselves. They perch 
freely on sticks and reeds and as often on the ground. On the 24th of 
May last year, on the banks of the Danube, near the large island below 
Rustchuk, I saw a colony of these birds. We tried to dig out several of 
their nests, but they were too deep for our pocket-knives or seemed to be 
unfinished. Hovering in front of their holes, or seated on a ledge of sandy 
earth, or on the ploughed field above, or on the branch of some willow 
