the Bb^ds of Cyprus. 331 



in January 1889 an unlabelled skin of this species sent home 

 by Captain Young, H.M. Commissioner for Famagusta. 

 Miiiler, op. supra cit., says of this bird, " eggs from Magpies' 

 nests/' which is no doubt perfectly true; but I should think 

 that if the bird is at all abundant in Cyprus, he would also 

 have found its eggs in the nests of Corvus cornioo. *. 



125. Hoopoe. Upupa epops. 



Common, but by no means abundant according to my 

 observations : cf. Guiliemard, Ibis, 1888, p. 104, and 1889, 

 p. 217. *. 



126. Roller. Coracias garrula. 



Very frequent. Guillemard notes the first seen by him in 

 1888 on April 3rd. Tiiis beautiful bird breeds abundantly 

 in Cyprus in soft banks of marl and sand. A Roller that 

 was, as an American would say, " fooling around,'^ made a 

 fierce stoop at a slightly wounded Snipe in the Aqueduct 

 marsh, near Larnaca, on May 5th, 1875, and, to use a term 

 of Falconry, fairly "■ put him in." This is the only occasion 

 during a long and pretty intimate acquaintance with this 

 species that I ever witnessed an attack by it upon any bird ; 

 but experience has taught me utter disbelief as to the amiable 

 disposition of any bird with even slight Corvine affinities. * 



127. Bee-eater. Merops apiaster. 



Exceedingly common, arriving about the beginning of 

 April, breeding and, as I am assured, leaving the island 

 altogether before the middle of July. *. 



128. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida. 



Once only observed by me in Cyprus, in the inner Venetian 

 harbour of Famagusta, in April 1875. Guillemard obtained 

 one in the same neighbourhood in February, and another at 

 Larnaca in April 1888. *. 



129. Pied Kingfisher. Ccryle rudis. 

 Cf. Guillemard, Ibis, 1888, pp. 102, 103. 



130. Smyrna Kingfisher. Halcyon smyrnensis. 



I did not meet with this bird, but my guide and inter- 

 preter, who had a very fair acquaintance with the birds of 

 the island, told me of having seen, on his journey from 



z 2 



