170 BIRDS OP EGYPT. 



two centre feathers long and pointed ; throat i/ellow, hovAeredi 

 by a black collar ; remainder of the underparts bright bluish- 

 green ; legs dark brown ; beak black ; irides crimson. 



Entire length 11 inches; culmcn 1-4; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 6; tarsus 5. 



Fig. Gould, B. of Eux. pi. 59. 



148. Merops iEGYPTius, Forsk. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. 



(Plate VII. fig. 1.) 



"Vf^/iA. "^^^^ ^^ '^^^ viio%\. abundant of the Bee-eaters in April. It 



.^ . ■ , arrives in the country about a fortnight earlier in the spring 

 /Ut^-t S^ tliaji j/_ apiaster, which it resembles in size, habits, and cry ; 

 yet the two species are never found in one flock. During 

 the day they may generally be met with perched upon the 

 telegraph-wires, or feeding among the herds of cattle. I 

 once observed them towards evening alight in such immense 

 numbers upon a sandbank, that they made it look almost as 

 green as meadow-land; they appear, however, generally to 

 roost at night in the sont trees. 



Forehead white, shading off into pale blue, which colour 

 extends on each side of the head, and forms an eyebrow ; 

 a black band passes from the gape through the eye to the 

 ear ; the cheeks are blue ; the throat russet-broicn, fading into 

 yellowish-white on the chin ; remainder of the plumage 

 brilliant green, except the underside of the wing, which is 

 pale rufous ; legs dark brown ; beak black ; irides crimson. 



Entire length 12 inches; culmen 1'6; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 6 ; tarsus 0'5. 



