472 MEROPID/E. 



Length. 12 to 12-5 inches; tail 5-5 to 57; wing 5-3 to 5-5 ; tarsus 0-5 ; 

 bill from gape 2. The female is very slightly smaller. 



. The whole peninsula of India and Ceylon, also the Andaman 

 Islands, and the whole of British Burmah, being especially abundant in Arrakan 

 and Pegu ; somewhat rare in Tenasserim, where, according to Gates, it is 

 partially migratory and is found also in China, Cochin-China, Siam, the 

 Malay Peninsula, Samatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, and Phillipine Islands. 

 Wherever this Bee-Eater is found it occurs in large flocks, and like viridis are 

 very partial to resting on telegraph wires. They are especially numerous 

 about the banks of large streams and rivers. They nest in the banks of 

 rivers, making like viridis a long tunnel 3 to 5 feet deep, with a chamber at 

 the end. Eggs slightly larger than those of viridis, 4 to 5 in number, and of the 

 same colour and gloss. 



1101, Merops Leschenaulti, VieiiL, Nouv. Diet. tfHist. Nat. 



xiv. p. 17; Hume and Dav., Sir. F. vi. p. 68. Merops quinticolor (F.), 

 Jerd., B. Ind. i. p. 208, No. 1 19. Merops Daudini (Cuv) t Swinhoe, P.Z. S. 

 1871, p. 348. Merops Swinhoei, Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 102 ; id., 

 Str. F. ii. p. 163 ; iii. p. 50 ; Armstrong, Str. F. iv. p. 305 ; Legge, Birds 

 vf Ceylon, p. 312 ; Hume, Str. F. vii. p. 455 ; viii. p. 85 ; Parker, Str. F. ix. 

 p. 478. Merops erythrocephalus (Gm.), Blyth and Wald., B. JBurm. 

 p. 274. The CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER. 



Top of the head, ear coverts, nape and upper back, rich chestnut ; lores 

 black, extending as a band under the eye and ear coverts ; lower back, wing 

 coverts, and tertiaries green, the latter tinged with bluish ; rump and upper tail 

 coverts pale azure or shining blue ; quills-green, rufous on the inner webs, and 

 all tipped with dusky black ; tail even or slightly emarginate, the centre feathers 

 not elongated, bluish on the outer and green on the inner webs ; rest green, 

 margined with brown on the inner webs and all tipped with dusky ; sides of the 

 face, chin and throat yellow, followed by a collar of chestnut, edged with black, 

 which extends up the sides of the neck; breast bright green ; rest of lower 

 plumage green, tinged with blue, which is most conspicuous on the vent and 

 inner tail coverts. Bill black ; irides crimson ; legs dusky black. 



Length. 8'5 inches; tail 3*3 to 3-5; wing 4-2; tarsus 0*4; bill from 

 gape 17. 



Hob. Malabar forests; Neilgherries up to 5,500 feet elevation; Mysore, 

 Wynaad, Southern India generally, to Ceylon. It is said to be found sparingly 

 distributed throughout the whole province of Burmah, also in Siam, Cochin- 

 China and China. Occurs in forests and well-wooded parts of the country in 

 small flocks. Breeds during March and April on the slopes of the Neilgherries. 

 They bore holes in the sandy parts of the banks to a depth of from 3 to 6 feet, 

 at the bottom of which is a circular chamber about 6 inches in diameter, where 



