62 



MEEOPIDJB 



MEROPS 



Habits. Capt. Alexander found Bohm's Bee-Eater in little 

 natural clearings in thick woods, and states that it is rather shy and 

 retiring. 



<*i*jsJiv4jts\j^ hi_^'j&r 



408. Merops nubicoides. Carmine- throated Bee-Eater. 



Merops nubicoides, Desmurs <& Pucheran, Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 243 ; 

 Delagorgue, Voy. Afr. Austr. ii, p. 505 (1847) ; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 

 324 [Zambesi] ; Gurney in Andersson's B. Damaraland, p. 62 

 (1872) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1874, p. 102 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. 

 pp. 99, 834, pi. 4, fig. 2 (1875-84) ; Gates, Matabeleland, p. 301 (1881) ; 

 Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 242 [Umfuli River]; Holub # Pelz. Orn. 

 Siid-AfriJcas, p. 66 (1882) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1884, p. 223, 1885, p. 343 

 [Rustenburg] ; Dresser, Monogr. Merop. p. 93, pi. 21 (1884). 



Merops natalensis, Eeichenb. Handb. Merop. p. 78, pi. 451 (1852) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xvii, p. 84 (1892) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. Ill 

 (1896) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 90 (1899) ; W. Sclater, Ibis, 

 1899, p. 112 [Inharnbane] ; Alexander, Ibis, 1900, p. 97 [Zambesi] ; 

 Sharpe, ibid. p. 115 [near Beira] ; Marshall, ibid. p. 248 [Mashona- 

 land]. 



Merops nubicus (nee GmeL), Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 69 (1867). 



" Inconyani" of the Matabeles (Ayres) ; and Swazis (Francis). 



FIG. 24. Merops nubicoides. x \. 



Description. Adult male. Crown of the head a somewhat 

 verdigris- green ; mantle scapulars and wing-coverts crimson, wing- 

 quills somewhat darker with black tips ; the inner secondaries 

 greenish at the ends; rump and upper tail-coverts bright cobalt- 

 blue ; tail dark crimson the two central feathers elongated and 

 attenuated, the narrow portion being black ; lores, feathers round 

 the eye and ear-coverts black ; below, bright cherry-pink, paler on 

 the lower breast ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts cobalt, under 



