MEROPID 4&—BEE-EATERS. 135 
Family MEROPIDZ. 
Genus MEROPS. 
EUROPEAN BEE-EATER. 
Merops apiaster Zznn. 
Adult Male: Crown, nape and upper back deep chestnut, 
shading into pale green on upper tail-coverts ; scapulars pale 
straw-colour ; primaries glossy bluish-green, tipped with black ; 
secondaries chestnut, tipped with black, innermost ones bluish ; 
tailfeathers bluish-green, the central pair nearly an inch longer 
than the rest; chin and throat rich yellow, bordered below by 
band of black ; lores and ear-coverts black; breast greenish- 
blue, becoming paler towards vent; bill (long and decurved) 
black ; legs and feet reddish-brown ; irides carmine. Length 
1o inches ; culmen 1°45; wing 5°75; outer tail-feathers 3°5 ; 
tarsus 0°45. 
Adult Female: Usually a little duller, otherwise very 
similar. 
Young: Very much paler both above and beneath with no 
blue or green on the forehead; central tail-feathers not 
elongated ; band across throat brownish and indistinct. 
Distribution : Summer visitant to countries bordering the 
Mediterranean, migrating to Southern Africa for the winter. 
Of casual occurrence only in Northern Europe. 
Habitat: River banks, gardens, palm groves. 
BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER. 
Merops persicus Fal/. 
Adult: Adove bright gveex, washed here and there with 
blue ; wings and tail slightly russet ; primaries and secondaries 
tipped especially on inner webs with dusky ; feathers at base 
of bill whitish ; hinder part of forehead, superciliary stripe and 
some of feathers bordering throat, d4/we; broad band from 
base of bill to ear-coverts black; chin yellow; throat patch 
