460 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 



or river-side Birds, from the bee-eaters and other Fissirostral Birds, 

 which, while they resemble each other in many physical charac- 

 teristics, differ essentially in their habits ; in short, while the one 

 haunts the river, feeds upon its inhabitants, and nests upon its margin, 

 the other keeps to the woods and forests, feeds upon insects, and 

 builds in holes in trees. 



The Ceyx tridactyla, inhabiting the Indian Archipelago, very 

 closely resembles the King-fisher of Europe in its habits ; it darts in 

 short rapid flight along the surface of lakes and rivulets, emitting 



Fig. 182, Common Bee-eater. 



shrill discordant sounds ; it perches on trees on the river banks, and 

 feeds on small fishes and aquatic insects. Their tarsi are smooth, the 

 inner toe wanting ; in other respects its habits are those of the 

 King-fisher. 



The Bee-eaters (Meropidce) have the beak long, thin, slightly 

 curved, and pointed, the mandible having a trenchant edge ; the tarsi 

 short ; the wings long and pointed ; the tail well-developed, tapering, 

 or forked. They are slender, graceful birds. Their cries, while they 

 skim through the air on rapid wing, are incessant. The name of 

 Bee-eaters they receive from their principal food, which consists of 

 various Hymenoptera, especially bees and wasps. They seize their 



