24 



. MEROPIDJ3. 



136. GREEN WOODPECKER. Gecinus viridis (Linnaeus). Resident 

 in England ; seldom, if ever, in Scotland ; very rarely in Ireland. 



General colour greenish. Iris white. 

 Male. Crown scarlet ; moustachial stripe red. 

 Female. Less red on crown ; moustachial stripe black. 

 Young. Head grey, tipped with scarlet ; breast barred with greyish 

 black. Length 13-14 inches. 



Subfamily IYNGIN2E. Nostrils partly covered by a membrane. 

 137. WRYNECK. lywec torquilla, Linnaeus. Spring to autumn. 



General colour greyish brown, vermiculated with blackish ; below 

 dull white ; throat and breast tinged with buff and crossed with blackish 

 bars. Tail soft and rounded ; with six blackish bars ; the outer feather 

 on each side so extremely short as to give the appearance of only ten 

 feathers. Length 7 inches. 



ALCEDINID^]. 



Alcedo ispida, Linnaeus. 



Resident, or partially 



138. KINGFISHER. 

 migratory. 



Male. Above greenish blue ; middle of back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts cobalt- blue; throat and patch on each side of neck white; lores 

 black ; rest below rich chestnut ; bill black. Length 7| inches. 



Female. Lower mandible reddish at base. 



139. ROLLER. 

 migration. 



CORACIID^l. 



Coracias garrula, Linnaeus. 



Irregular visitor on 



Back, scapulars, and tertials cinnamon-brown ; inner web of end of j 

 primaries blackish brown. Neck, throat, breast, and underparts bluish ; I 

 rest green or purplish green. Length 13 inches. 



MEROPIDJEl 



Merops apiaster, Linnaeus. 



Rare straggler on 



140. BEE-EATER. 

 migration. 



Bill long, pointed, slightly curved downwards ; iris red. Forehead 

 white next bill, then a bluish tinge ; crown rich chestnut ; chin and 

 throat rich yellow, bordered below by a black line. Tail green, long ; 

 two centre feathers an inch longer than others. Length 10-11 inches. 



NOTE. The Blue-tailed Bee-eater, M crops philippinus, has been once 

 recorded, but importation may be suspected. Tail blue. Rather larger 

 than last. 



