MEROPS. 471 



1099. MerOpS viridiS, Linn., Syst. Nat. I. p. 182; Jerd., B. Ind. 

 i. p. 205 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 99 ; id., $*//. ^. i. p. 167 ; iii. 

 p. 49; Blyth, B. Burm. p. 73 ; Armstrong, Sir. F. iv. p. 304; Hume and 

 Dav., Sir. F. vi. p. 67; Anders.* Yunnan Exped. p. 582; Legge, B. Ceylon 

 p. 309; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 85; Bingham, Sir. F. ix. p. 152 ; Murray, 

 Vert. Zool., Sind., p. 107. Merops ferrugiceps, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. 

 p. 82. The COMMON INDIAN GREEN BEE-EATER. 



Above bright grass green ; below bright green, mixed with verdigris ;. lower 

 abdomen and under tail coverts slightly paler and with a bluish tinge; head, 

 nape, and hind neck burnished with golden ; forehead and fore crown deep 

 rufous, wanting in many specimens from Northern India, as Sind ; eye streak 

 from base of bill through the eye to ear coverts, and a collar on top of the 

 breast, black ; quills reddish, tipped dusky ; tail very dull green, the edges of 

 their inner webs dusky ; elongated portion of the two central feathers dark 

 brown. Bill black ; irides blood red. 



Length. 975 inches to tip of central tail feathers ; wing 3-5 to 375 ; bill at 

 front ri. 



Hab. The whole of India, extending to Ceylon and Indo-China. Occurs 

 also at Quetta in Beloochistan, Persia and Egypt ; also in Southern India 

 (Travancore), Nepaul and Cashmere. Abundant nearly throughout British 

 Burmah. Breeds almost all over India and Burmah, laying from 3 to 5 eggs, 

 during March and April, often also in May, in sandy banks. The eggs are 

 little polished alabaster-like balls, nearly spherical in shape, milky white in 

 hue, and brilliantly glossy. They vary in length from 0*68 to 0*82 inch and 

 in breadth from 0*64 to 073 inch. 



1100. Merops phillipinus, Linn., Syst. Nat. Ed. 13. i. p. 183; 



Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 101 ; Salvad., Ucc. Born. p. 89 ; Blyth, B. 

 Burm. p. 72 ; Oates, Str. F. v. p. 143 ; Dav. et Oust. Ois. Chine p. 72 ; 

 Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 306 ; Hume and Dav., Str. F. vi. p. 67 ; Hume, Str. F. 

 viii. p. 85; Bingham, Str. F. ix. p. 152; Oates, B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 66; 

 Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind. p. 108. Merops Phillipensis (Linn.), Jerd., B. 

 Ind. i. p. 207, No. 118; Anders., Yunnan Exped. p. $8 1. The BLUE-TAILED 

 BEE-EATER. 



Forehead, crown, nape, and back dull green, tinged with coppery ; rump 

 and upper tail coverts bright blue ; central tail feathers blue, the projecting 

 elongation black ; other tail feathers blue ; their inner webs dusky ; tertiaries 

 bluish green ; primaries and secondaries green externally, and rufescent on 

 their inner webs, all tipped with black ; wing coverts green ; lores, ear coverts 

 and a line through the eye black ; a narrow blue line above this and a pale 

 bluish white one below ; chin yellow ; throat chestnut ; under surface of the 

 body green, with a rufescent tinge ; under tail coverts pale blue ; under wing 

 coverts bright buff. Bill black ; irides bright red ; legs plumbeous. 

 VOL. II. 61 



