154 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 



a passer attracts its notice, when it suddenly darts off, 

 secures its victim, and returns to the same branch. At 

 other times it may constantly be seen on the wing, mostly 

 in pairs, flying just above the tops of the trees, diving and 

 rising again with many rapid turns. During flight the 

 silvery white spot in the centre of the wing shows very 

 distinctly, and hence the name of Dollar-bird bestowed upon 

 it by the colonists. 



" It is a very noisy bird, particularly in dull weather, 

 when it often emits its peculiar chattering note during flight." 



Ke.st. — In the hollow of a tree, with decayed wood as a 

 floor. 



Eggs. — Two or three in number ; white, rather glossy, 

 and sometimes variable in form, some being oval and 

 pointed, others being round (A. J. North). Length, 1-45 

 inches; breadth, 1-05 inches. 



BEE-EATER, 



Merops oruatiis, Lath. 



Merops dr-ndt'us. 

 Merops, a bee-eater ; ornatvs, adorned. 



Merops ornatus, Gould, "Birds of Australia," fol., vol. ii., 



pi. 16. 

 Geographical Distribution. — Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9. 



Key to the Species. — Green mantle; a broad black patch on th*^ 

 fore-neck ; tail black, the centre feathers, which are elongated, 

 washed or edged with blue ; bill long, culmen sharply ridged ; 

 feet syndactyl. 



Bee-eaters are surely dangerous-like birds to the apiarists. 

 To a small extent this is so ; and we nearly always find 

 an element of evil in the so-called good ! Briefly I may 



