MEROPS PERSICA. 197 



[^ 6S5. One.—Chemora, Algeria, 2 June, 1857. " O. S." 

 rrorn Mr. Salvin's Collection. 



Mr. Salvin's note on this egg is — "From a nest of seven taken by raj'self." 

 Of the species he wi'ites : — " Very plentiful about the lower part of the 

 Chemora, a mile or two before it reaches Lake Djendeli. I saw a flock near 

 Kef Laks in the month of April apparently on passage. This bird makes ita 

 nest in the banks of the Chemora and the ditches about the lower end. The 

 soil is alluvial and soft, so that the bird finds no difficulty in making its ex- 

 cavation. Nearly all the eggs taken I dug out myself, and a very little ex- 

 perience will soon teach one what holes have eggs and what not. These holes 

 are about three or four feet deep, and are gradually enlarged horizontally, until 

 they come to a chamber about a foot in diameter, circular in form, and domed 

 over. This chamber sometimes contams the eggs ; but in many nests I found 

 another passage, about a foot long, eommuriicatiug with a second chamber, in 

 all respects similar to the first ; this, if it exists, contains the eggs. The bird 

 makes no nest, but the floor is strewn with vsdngs and legs of Colcoptera in 

 such abundance that a handful can be taken up at a time. The complement 

 of eggs is six, but in one instance I found seven in one nest. The bird gene- 

 rally stays in the hole during the time the eggs are being dug out, now and 

 then attempting to bolt."] 



[§ G86. One. — Chemora, Algeria, 2 June, 1S57. From Mr. 

 Tristram's Collection. 



Out of a nest of three.] 



[§ 6S7. 0;/^.— Albania, 1S57. From Lord Lilford's Collec- 

 tion.] 



[^688. 0//^.— "South Russia." From Herr A. Heinke, of 

 Kamuschin, through Dr. Albert Giiuther, 1863.] 



MEROPS PERSICA, Pallas. 



EGYPTIAN BEE-EATER. 



[§689. Oy/(?.— Egypt, 1862. From Mr. S. S. Allen's Collection. 



Mr. AUen thus relates the taking of this egg among others (Ibis, 18G2, pp. .3.";9, 



360) : — " Whilst returning from an ornithological excursion down the 



Nile to Damietta on the 21st of April (18G2), our attention was attracted 



by a large flock of M. pcrsicus hovering over one particular spot, where 



PART II. P 



