438 meropidj:. 



same year at Dropmore. One shot at Godalming, some 

 years before 1837, rests on the authority of Kidd (Entomol. 

 Mag. iv. p. 270), and Hewitson states (Zool. s.s. p. 2027) 

 that there was an example at Oatlands, feeding on yew- 

 berries in the late autumn of 1869. In May 1879 a pair 

 was shot near Derby (Zool. 1879, p. 461), one of which is in 

 Mr. Whitaker's collection. As regards Ireland, Vigors many 

 years ago reported (Zool. Journ. i. p. 589) one obtained, in 

 the winter of 1820, on the sea-coast near Wexford, in which 

 county Mr. Watters says that another was procured in the 

 summer of 1848 ; while Dr. J. D. Marshall, in 1829, recorded 

 (Mag. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 395) one killed in Wicklow a few 

 years before ; and according to Thompson, Dr. Graves, 

 writing in 1830 mentioned one more obtained in that island, 

 but without giving date or locality. 



This bird, like the Koller, winters in the interior and 

 southern parts of Africa ; and as will be seen from the 

 statements above cited, its visits to our islands in many 

 respects resemble those of that species. Yet some differences 

 are observable ; — the Bee-eater has not occurred by any 

 means so often, especially in the northern parts of the 

 United Kingdom : it has several times arrived in flights ; 

 and, on one occasion, there are grounds for thinking that it 

 tried to breed in England. The first of these differences 

 may be connected with the fact of its normal summer-range 

 in Europe not being extended so much towards the north 

 and especially the north-west, as is that of the Eoller ; the 

 second with its social habits, for it commonly migrates and 

 breeds almost always in companies ; and the third with its 

 somewhat less conspicuous appearance, added to its greater 

 fleetness on the wing, which last circumstance may possibly 

 explain the fact of a pair having reached the very heart of 

 England ere they met their death. It will be observed that 

 most of the dated captures of this species have occurred 

 between the end of April and beginning of May, so that a 

 majority of the examples which have visited us have doubtless 

 been seeking a breeding-quarter. 



The Bee-eater does not appear to visit the Low Countries ; 



