158 



VARIEGATED BEE-EATER. 



Merops ornatus. M. cceruleo viridique varius, nucha gula remigi- 



busque basifulvis, rectricibus duabus elongatu: Lath. ind. orn. 



svppl. 

 Bee-Eater varied with blue and green; the nape, throat, and 



base of the quill-feathers fulvous, and two of the tail-feathers 



elongated. 

 Variegated Bee-Eater. Lath. syn. suppl. 2. 



DESCRIBED by Dr. Latham from a drawing. 

 Size rather superior to that of the Red-winged 

 Bee-Eater: general shape and appearance similar 

 to that of the Indian Bee- Eater, to which it is also 

 much allied in colours, having the crown of the 

 head dull orange, the middle of the feathers darker: 

 across the eyes a black streak, dashed with blue 

 beneath : lipper part of the back, wings, and tail 

 green, but varied with orange, as in the Indian 

 Bee- Eater: under parts of the bird orange yellow, 

 with a broad patch or bar of black below the 

 throat, or at the upper part of the breast : lower 

 part of the abdomen blueish white: bill and legs 

 black: the tail shaped as in the Indian Bee-Eater, 

 the two middle feathers being produced into two 

 lengthened narrow-plumed shafts. In some the 

 crown of the .head is blue, with a slight cast of 

 orange at the back part : the back brownish green, 

 and the rump blue. Native of New Holland. 



