82 BLUE-BELLTED BEE-EATER. 



very broad ; those in the middle are dull orange on 

 their upper internal portion, and deep rufous be- 

 neath ; but this is not perceived on the middle or 

 outermost pair, which are entirely fulvous green; 

 bill and legs, black. 



Total length, 7 inches ; bill, from the front, 1 ; 

 wings, 3f ; tail beyond, \^ ; ditto, from the base, 4 



GREEN-THROATED BEE-EATER. 



Merops viridissimus,. SWAINS. 



Entirely green ; quills, tail, and sides of the head with a ful- 

 vous or golden gloss ; throat crossed by a black bar. 



Le Guepier a gorge blue, ou Le Guepier Lamarck, Le Vaill. 

 pi. 10? Merops Indicus, Var. M. Lamarcki*, Auctorum. 



THE investigation of this species has caused us more 

 trouble and research than any subject contained in 

 this volume ; we have been desirous of avoiding, on 

 the one hand, an unnecessary increase of specific 

 names, and on the other, the prevalent error of the 

 old writers, of overlooking what appear to be sligbf 

 distinctions : we have, therefore, carefully gone over 

 all the descriptions in the systems of Buffon, La- 

 tham, &c. in the hopes of determining the species 

 before us, but without any satisfactory result. We 

 believe it has been confounded with two, if not 



* I have not adopted the specific name of Bullocki or La- 

 marcki, for the reasons already assigned in Classification of 

 tiirds, i. p. 236 and 238. 



