OH the Binla of Aden. 19 



the gloaming, when it has been too dark to shoot, its iden- 

 tification must remain a mystery for the present, 



2.3. Merops cyanophrys (Cal). & Heine) ; Yerbury, Ibis, 

 1886, p. 15; Barnes, Ibis, 1895, p. 70. 



Common inland and resident. I never found a nest of 

 this species, though I saw a pair prospecting a hole in a 

 nullah's bank near Lahej. The hole, however, was only 

 about 6 inches deep, and if the birds had intentions of breed- 

 ing in it, it would have required considerable deepening. 



24. Merops PERsicus, Pall.; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 

 xvii. p. 66 (1892) ; Barnes, Ibis, 1893, p. 70. 



An Aden specimen of the Bee-eater is in the possession of 

 Capt. Nurse, who procured it on the 14th of November 1894. 

 I met with this bird only three times during my recent trip. 

 At Lahej on the 12th of March a large flock was flying across 

 from west to east, making a good deal of noise calling. A 

 single specimen was seen at Shaik Othman on the 4th of 

 March ; while the third occasion was in the middle of the Red 

 Sea, on the 21st of April, when a large flock was passing from 

 west to east. This flock came fairly close to the ship, and 

 from their appearance and voices 1 should say they were 

 undoubtedly of this species. 



25. Merops, sp. inc., Barnes, Ibis, 1893, p. 71. 



With Barnes, I believe in the existence of a third species 

 of Bee-eater at Aden, but its identity still awaits verifi- 

 cation. 



26. Coracias garrula, Linn.; Yerbury, Ibis, 1886, p. 15; 

 Barnes, Ibis, 1893, p. 71. 



The European Roller appears to be a regular cold-weather 

 visitant at Aden, though 1 did not see a single specimen 

 during ray recent visit. I can find only two records of its 

 appearance logged in my old note-books, though I must 

 have met with it much more frequently. These occasions 

 were at Huswah in August, 1883, and Gold-jNlohur Valley 

 on the 14th of August. A specimen is in Mr. Chevallier's 

 collection. 



c 2 



