BEE-EATER. 223 



of 1794, when a communication was made to the Linnean 

 Society, and a specimen of this beautiful bird was ex- 

 hibited by the President, Sir James Edward Smith, which 

 had been shot out of a flock of about twenty near Mattis- 

 hall, in Norfolk, in the month of June, by the Rev. 

 George Smith, and a portion probably of this same flight, 

 much diminished in numbers, was observed passing over 

 the same spot in the month of October following. Since 

 that time several have been shot in different parts of this 

 country, which will be noticed when stating the geo- 

 graphical range of the species. 



This bird, like the Roller last described, is a native 

 of Africa, and, according to Le Vaillant and Dr. Andrew 

 Smith, goes nearly as far south as the Cape. It is found 

 also at Madeira, and from Tangiers and other parts of 

 North Africa passes over the Mediterranean, and is found 

 periodically in considerable numbers at Gibraltar, Sardinia, 

 Malta, and Sicily. Mr. Swainson, who lived four or five 

 years in Sicily and its vicinity, says, " These birds occa- 

 sionally visit Italy in flocks of twenty or thirty, and may 

 be seen skimming over the vineyards and olive plantations 

 with a flight much resembling the Swallow, though more 

 direct and less rapid." From the northern shores of the 

 Mediterranean these flocks pass on to the Continent before 

 them. Colonel Montagu says, " It probably breeds in 

 some parts of Spain and Portugal, as he was assured by 

 an officer that it was not uncommon about Badajos, where 

 he observed a considerable number flying about like 

 Swallows, but that they frequently pitched, and assembled 

 together in trees in the gardens. This was in the spring 

 of the year 1811, while the allied army was encamped 

 before Badajos." 



In Spain these birds are also observed about the rocky 

 country of Arragon. Polydore Roux includes them among 



