660 Messrs. Sclater and Mackworth-Praed on [Ibis, 



Merops persicus persicus. 



Merops persica Pallas, Reise verscli. Prov. russ. Reichs, ii. 

 1773, p. 78: Caspian sea; Butler, Hiis, 1905, p. 351, 1909, 

 p. 400; Reichw. V. A. ii. p. 322. 



[B. coll.] 1 Khor Arbat May 16, R.S. : 1 ? imm. 

 Khartoum May 21 ; 1 Kenisa Jan. 21, Mon. ; 1 Lado 

 Feb. 10, L.E. 



[C. & L. coll.] 6 near Lake No. Feb. Mch. U.N. 



[Chr. coll.] 3 Yambio Mch. B.G. 



The Persian Bee-eater is a common winter bird through- 

 out the greater part of Africa. Young birds are exceedingly 

 difficult to distinguish from those of the allied species 

 M. superciliosus, of which there is a large series in the 

 Museum from Madagascar, East Africa, Uganda, Nyasalaiid, 

 and Angola, and a single example from Abyssinia. The 

 young bird from Khartoum taken on 21 May might 

 possibly be referred to this species, and there seems to 

 be no valid reason why it should not be found in the 

 Sudan. 



Merops lamark viridissimus. 



Merops viridissimus Swaiuson, Birds W. Afr. ii. 1837, 

 p. 82 : Senegal. 



Merops viridis apnd Bntler, Ibis, 1905, p. 351, 1908, 

 p. 242, 1909, p. 85. 



[B. coll.] 6 Khartoum Feb. & May ; 1 KakaMay, U.N. 



[C, & L. coll.] 4 Sinkat Mch. R.S. ; 1 Kamisa Dec. Sen. ; 

 1 Jebelein Jan. W.N. 



This race appears to range from Senegal to the Sudan. 

 We have no specimens from Senegal, but a small series from 

 Lake Chad collected by Alexander average slightly smaller 

 than the Sudan birds, wing 87 mm. against 91-5. 



Parrot, O. M. xviii. 1910, p. 13, describes a race from 

 Eritrea as M. viridis reichenowi, and it is probable that the 

 Sudan birds are intermediate if this latter race proves to be 

 recognizable. 



There is also a race breeding in Egypt, M. I. cleupatra 



