BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER. 7# 



five or six species*, one of which is the M. Cuvieri 

 of our present volume. If, as we may conjecture, 

 this is the true Merops Samgni figured by Le Vail- 

 lant, hut whose description seems nowhere to he 

 copied, the name of Vaillanti may he given to one 

 of the other species still left among the varieties oi 

 superciliosus. 



We shall now describe the plumage from two 

 Senegal specimens upon our tahle. The whole oi 

 the upper plumage, that is, the head, neck, hack, 

 rump, wing, and tail-covers, are of a uniform parrot 

 green, having a much yellow r er gloss when held 

 from the light ; in such a position the quill and 

 tail-feathers, which are duller green, appear very 

 strongly tinged w r ith that huff-yellow or yellowish- 

 brown which is so prevalent in nearly all the bee- 

 eaters. The front of the head is white, slightly 

 tinged with yellow close to the nostrils, and with 

 light blue where it blends into the green of the 

 crown. This frontlet is continued in a band over 

 and beyond each eye, but it there becomes entirely 

 Jight turquoisine blue : there is the usual black 

 stripe between the bill and eye, and over the ears, 

 which is seen on all the bee-eaters ; beneath which 

 there is another blue stripe which extends as far as 

 the black one on the ears, and becomes delicate 

 green before it unites with the yellow of the chin 

 and the deep rufous which extends half-way down 

 the throat ; the colours of the throat blend together, 

 but there is no white on the chin; beyond the 



* The Merops Persica of Pallas, for instance, has the chin 

 white. 



