222 



MEROPIDJE. 



TN83880RB8. 



FISSIROSTRES. 



MEROPIDM. 



THE BEE-EATER. 



Merops apiaster. 



Merops apiaster, The Bee-eater, 

 Common 



The 



Common 



The 



PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 339. 

 MONTAGU, Ornith. Diet. 

 BEWICK, Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 1 50. 

 FLEM. Brit. An. p. 90. 

 SELBT, Brit. Ornith. vol. i. p. 114. 

 JENYNS, Brit. Yert. p. 156. 

 GOULD, Birds of Europe. 



Guepier vulgaire, TEMM. Man. d'Ornith. vol. i. p. 420. 



MEROPS. Generic CJiaracters. Beak rather long, slender, slightly curved, 

 pointed, the culmen elevated, the edges of the mandibles cutting, entire. 

 Nostrils basal, lateral, oval, partly concealed by hairs directed forwards. 

 Feet with the tarsi short, toes small, three in front, one behind, the outer 

 toe connected to the middle toe as far as the second joint; the inner toe 

 connected as far as the first joint. Wings long and pointed ; the second 

 quill-feather the longest in the wing. 



No specimen of the Common Bee-eater of Africa appears 

 recorded to have been killed in England till the summer 



