— 45 — 



211. Egyptian Little Green Bee-eater. Merops orientalis 



cleofatra ^icoW. Plate 28, fig. 18. 



Merops viridis, Linn. Shelley, p. 171. 



Merops viridis cleopatra. Nicoll, "Bull. B.O.C.," Nov., 1910, 

 page 11. 



Abundant and resident in Middle and Upper Egypt 

 where it breeds. It nests in holes in the ground. Some migrate 

 in winter to the Sudan, where a more bronze green form is 

 resident. 



Much smaller than the preceding. Grass green ; black 

 line through eye ; dull red patch on wing (seen when in flight) ; 

 central tail feathers long. 



212. Hoopoe. Upupa epops epops Linnaeus. Plate 29, fig. 19. 



Upupa epops. Shelley, p. 165. 



Extremely abundant during the spring and autumn migra- 

 tions. 



Length 12 inches. Head and neck rufous ; a large erectile 

 crest rufous tipped with black and white ; throat and breast 

 pinkish rufous ; belly whitish ; back brown ; wings black, 

 broadly barred w4th white, as is also the black tail ; bill long, 

 thin and decurved ; legs short. 



213. Brehm's Hoopoe. Upupa epops major Brehm. Plate 29, 

 fig. 20. 



Not distinguished by Shelley from the aforementioned. 



Resident in Egypt throughout the Delta and to as far south 

 as Aswan. 



Differs from the aforementioned in having a longer, 

 thicker bill, especially deep at the base, and in being 

 somewat duller in coloration. 



214. Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus canorus Linnseus. 



Cuculus canorus. Shelley, p. 162. 



Passes through Egypt in moderate numbers during both 

 migrations. The characteristic note is not often uttered in this 

 country. 



Length 15 inches. Upper parts blue grey ; chin and throat 

 paler grey ; rest of under parts huffish white barred with black ; 

 wings and tail black, spotted with w^hite on the quill feathers. 

 During the spring migration examples of this form are met with 

 of a bright chestnut colour above barred with black. The under 

 parts are barred from the chin downward, and there is no grey 

 in the plumage. 



