94 MEROPID.E. 



THE COMMON INDIAN BEE-EATER. 

 Hurrt'al, Hin. 



Length, including centre tail-feathers, 8'5 ; expanse, 10; wing, 

 3*5; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 0'36 ; bill at gape, 1'3 ; bill at front, 1 ; the 

 centre tail feathers exceed the others by 1'25 to 2 '5 inches. 



Bill black ; irides blood-red; feet plumbeous, 



Plumage, above bright grass-green ; the head, nape, and hind 

 neck burnished with golden ; a black eye-streak from the 

 base of the bill through the eye to the top of the ear-coverts ; 

 quills with a reddish tinge, especially on the inner w r eb, and all 

 tipped dusky ; tail duller green, the webs dusky at their inner 

 edge ; the two central tail-feathers elongated ; chin and throat 

 verdigris-green, and a black collar on the top of the breast ; the 

 rest of the lower parts bright green, mixed with verdigris, paler and 

 more coerulescent on the lower abdomen, and under tail-coverts. 



The Common Indian Bee-eater occurs abundantly throughout the 

 district ; it is a permanent resident, breeding during April and May. 



They usually excavate holes in sand banks or earthy cliffs, 

 but occasionally make them in leve 1 ground ; these holes vary 

 in depth from 1^ to 5 feet, according to the nature of the soil ; 

 the eggs, four or five in number (more rarely six), are spherical 

 in shape, white in color and are highly glossy when fresh, but as 

 incubation proceeds the gloss disappears and they become dead 

 white ; they measure 078 in length by about 07 in breadth. 



Merops philippinus, Lin. 



118. Merops philippensis, Lin. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. 

 I, p. 207 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456 ; 

 Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 381 ; Murray's Vertebrate 

 Zoology of Sind, p. 108. 



THE BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER. 



Length, 12 to 12'5 ; wing 5'25 ; tail, 575 ; tarsus, 0'5 ; bill 

 at front, 1*6. 



Bill black ; irides crimson ; feet plumbeous. 



Head, neck, back, wing-coverts, and tertiaries dull grass-green, 

 with more or less rufous gloss; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 bright azure-blue ; a black eye-streak from the base of both 

 mandibles to the end of the ear-coverts, with a pale blue line 

 beneath ; quills dull green-rufous towards the edge of the inner 

 webs, and black tipped ; tail dull blue ; chin yellow- white ; throat 

 dark ferruginous, extending to the sides of the face and neck as 

 far as the end of the ear- coverts ; breast and upper abdomen 

 green, glossed with rufous ; lower abdomen and vent paler, and 

 with a blue tinge and the under tail-coverts pale blue ; the 

 tail is nearly even, with the centre pair of feathers elongate and 

 the pair next them slightly shorter. 



The Blue-tailed Bee-eater occurs sparingly throughout the 

 greater portion of our district. 



