204 MEROriD/E. 



it from head to tail between the points of its mandibles, till 

 by repeated compression, particularly on the abdomen, the 

 sting is either squeezed out, or its muscular attachments so 

 deranged that the sting itself is harmless. I have mentioned 

 that the Bee-eater is common during summer in Greece and 

 the islands of the Archipelago, and in Crete is said to be the 

 most plentiful. It is in this latter island " that the curious 

 mode of bird-catching described by Bellonius is said to be 

 frequently practised with success, viz. — a cicada is fastened 

 on a bent pin or fish-hook, and tied to a long slender line. 

 The insect, when thrown from the hand, ascends into the air, 

 and flies with rapidity ; the Merops, ever on the watch, 

 seeing the cicada, springs at it, and swallowing the bait is 

 thus taken by the Cretan boys." 



In the adult male the beak is nearly black ; the irides red ; 

 the lore and ear-coverts black ; forehead tinged with verditer 

 blue, which extends in a line over the eye ; top of the head, 

 neck, back, and wing-coverts, rich reddish brown, passing on 

 the rump to saffron yellow ; primary and secondary quill-fea- 

 thers greenish blue, the shafts and ends black ; tertials green- 

 ish blue, but without dark tips ; upper tail-coverts bluish 

 green ; tail-feathers duck green, the middle pair with narrow 

 ends extending beyond the others ; chin and throat rich 

 saffron yellow, bounded below by a bar of bluish black ; 

 breast, belly, and under tail-coverts, verdigris green, tinged 

 with blue ; under wing-coverts fawn colour ; under surface of 

 wing and tail-feathers, greyish brocoli brown ; legs, toes, and 

 claws, small, and reddish brown. 



Whole length to the end of the elongated tail-feathers 

 eleven inches. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, 

 five inches and three-quarters : the first feather very short, 

 the second the longest in the wing. 



Females are not so bright in colour as the males, the yel- 

 low on the throat is paler, and the green colour tinged with 

 red. 



