352 THE BEE-EATER AND THE KING-FISHER. 



that he gave them, on receiving which it was amusing to 

 see how they would gape and screech at one and the 

 same time A week passed in this way. They followed 

 the man everywhere in the garden, and cried for worms; 

 but at length probably in company with their parents and 

 brethren obeying the dictates of nature, they flew away 

 altogether. The following summer, as in bygone years, only 

 a single pair were visible." 



The Common Bee-eater (Bi-atare, or Bee-eater, Sw. ; 

 Merops Apiaster, Linn.). This bird is very rare in Scandi- 

 navia, and has only been occasionally met with. An indi- 

 vidual was shot some years ago in the parish of Hogsater in 

 Dalsland say some fifty miles to the north-west of Ronmim. 

 It is also very rare in Denmark. The more southern portion 

 of Europe is its proper home. 



The Common King-Fisher (Bld-ryggig Is-fogel, or Blue- 

 backed Ice-bird, Sw. ; Alcedo Ispida. } Linn.) was said to 

 have been met with on one occasion in my vicinity. This 

 bird is by all accounts exceedingly scarce in Scandinavia ; and 

 as it would appear, confined chiefly to the more southern 

 provinces of Sweden, where some few have been shot. It 

 is occasionally met with in Denmark. Migrates. 



The Chimney-Swallow (Ladu-Svala, or Barn-Swallow, 

 Sw. ; Hirundo rustica, Linn.) was very common with us ; 

 as is likewise the case in all the inhabited parts of Scandi- 

 navia, from Scania to far within the polar circle. Migrates. 



The House Martin (Hus-Svala, or House-Swallow, Sw. ; 

 H. urbica, Linn.). This bird was equally plentiful as the 

 foregoing in my vicinity; and is also found all over the 

 peninsula. I myself met with immense numbers even as 

 high up as Karesuando in northern Lapland. In some places 



