156 



INDIAN BEE-EATER. 



Merops viridis. M. viridis, gula uropygioque caruleis, fascia ocu- 

 lari et pectorali n/grw, redricibus mediis elongato-acuminatis. 



Green Bee- Eater, with blue throat and rump, black eye-strip* 

 and pectoral bar, and sharp-elongated middle tail-feathers. 



Merops viridis. M. virens, fascia pectorali nigra, gula caudaquc 

 cceruleis, rectricibus duabus elungutis. Lin. Syst. Nat. 



The Indian Bee-Eater. Edw. pi. 183. 



Guepier vert a gorge bleue. Buff. ois. PI. Enl. 740. 



Indian Bee-Eater. Lath. syn. 



THIS species, which is about half the size of the 

 Common Bee- Eater, has the shafts of the two 

 middle tail-feathers produced to a much greater 

 length in proportion ; the general shape however 

 and appearance of the bird is very strongly allied 

 to that of the European species. It is thus accu- 

 rately described by Edwards. " The bill is pretty 

 long, sharp-pointed, and a little bowed downwards; 

 the upper mandible black or dusky, the nether 

 whitish at the base: from the corner of the mouth 

 there passes a black line through the eye, bending 

 downwards on the side of the head : the beginning 

 of the forehead, next the bill, is blue, as are the 

 throat, and sides of the head beneath the eyes: the 

 crown and hinder parts of the head and neck are 

 of a red or orange-colour : on the upper part of the 

 breast is a black transverse mark, like a new moon, 

 with the horns pointing upwards : the back and 

 lesser covert-feathers of the wings are of a parrot- 

 green : the rump or coverts of the tail of a blueish 



