MEROPIDJ2, OR BEE-EATERS. TENUIROSTRES. 



459 



only in the Old World and in Australia ; and there is one species 

 which is an occasional summer visitant of the British Isles. 

 This is a very beautiful Bird, about eleven inches in length, and 

 eighteen inches across the wings ; its plumage is mostly of a clear 

 sea-green, with a golden-yellow neck, and a half-collar of black. 

 It is tolerably abundant in the south-east of Europe ; even there, 

 however, appearing only as a summer visitant. It builds, or 

 rather excavates, its nest in banks remote from human habita- 

 tions ; but in search of food it flies in the close vicinity of houses ; 



and the boys of 

 Crete are said to 

 angle for it, by 

 attaching a small 

 fish-hook and line 

 to a Locust or 

 other large in- 

 sect, and by let- 

 ting the insect 

 fly whilst the 

 line is retained 

 in the hand. 

 A considerable 

 number of Bee-eaters inhabit Africa ; and other species are found 

 in Asia and Australia. 



FIG. 258. COMMON BEE-EATER. 



TRIBE IV. TENUIROSTRES. 



414. The Tenuirostral Birds have slender compressed bills, 

 frequently arched ; the tongue is often divided at the tip into 

 numerous filaments, and is used for sucking up the honey from 

 the nectaries of flowers ; the wings are usually of considerable 

 length, but tne feet are very slender, with {he exception of the 

 hind toe, which is usually robust, and serves to support the 

 animal whilst it is feeding. These Birds are for the most part 

 of small size and delicate form, and of great variety and brilliancy 

 of plumage. They are almost exclusively confined to the torrid 



HH2 



