22 BEE-EATER. 



in the autumn of 1839; in Dorsetshire one, at Chideock, 

 preserved in the museum of the late Dr. Roberts, of Bridport, 

 whose supposition, as expressed to me, was, that it had escaped 

 out of some gentleman's cage. In Cornwall, four specimens 

 occurred in the parish of Madern, in 1807, and a flock of 

 twelve at Helston, in 1828, of which eleven were shot. In 

 Sussex, one was shot at Icklesham, and another near Chichester, 

 on the (5th. of May, 1829. 



The first recorded specimen in England was shot out of a 

 nock of twenty, at Mattishall, in Norfolk, in June, 1794; and 

 in October of the same year, some were again seen at the 

 same spot, but fewer in number; probably the survivors of 

 others that had been slain of the original flock. Another was 

 killed at Beccles, in the spring of 1835; and three others are 

 recorded in the fifteenth volume of the 'Linnsean Transactions.' 



In Ireland, one was killed in the county of Wicklow, one 

 on the sea shore near Wexford, in the winter of 1820, and 

 two others have occurred in the interior. In Scotland, one 

 was shot in the Mull of Galloway, in October, 1832. 



The precipitous banks of rivers are most frequented by these 

 birds, but not exclusively, as they also resort to vineyards, 

 olive-yards, and sheltered valleys. 



Their flight resembles that of the Swallow, but is more 

 direct, and less rapid. 



Bee-eaters are exclusively insectivorous, but they have a wide 

 range of choice among beetles, grasshoppers, bees, wasps, flies, 

 gnats, 'et id genus omne.' They capture their food for the 

 most part on the wing, and may be seen from 'dewy morn 

 till eve' in pursuit of their winged prey, like Swallows in 

 our own country. 



'Their note,' says Meyer, 'which they utter on the wing, 

 is loud, and sounds like the syllables 'grillgririririll,' and also 

 'sisicrewe,' according to the testimony of an old and learned 

 author.' It reminds one of the 'Torotorotorotorotorotorinx' 

 of Aristophanes in his Political History of 'Birds,' where the 

 very 'Epops' himself is most scientifically placed in juxtapo- 

 sition with this mellifluous species. 



The nest is placed in holes in banks, which latter are thus, 

 as is only to be expected in the case of a Bee-eater, com- 

 pletely 'honey-combed.' The bird scoops out a hole by means 

 of its bill and feet, to the depth of from one to two yards, 

 sufficiently large to admit its body; and its legs being short, 

 a wide orifice is not required: this passage is widened out at 



