3SO NATURAL HISTORY. 



and having a bronzy gloss on the shoulders. All the tail feathers, except the two centre ones 

 have a -white spot near the tip and across the wings a white bar. The bill and legs are 

 bright coral red. 



CHAPTER X. 



THE BEE-EATERS MOTMOTS ROLLERS TROGONS NIGHTJARS, OR GOATSUCKERS- 

 SWIFTS HUMMING BIRDS. 



THE BEE-EATERS Their Brilliant Plumage Colonel Irby's Account of the Bird in Spain Shot for Fashion's sake 

 THE MOTMOTS Appearance Mr. Waterton on the Houtou Curious Habit of Trimming its Tail Mr. O. Salvin's 

 Observations on this point Mr. Bartlett's Evidence THE ROLLERS Why so called Canon Tristram's Account of 

 their Habits Colour- Other Species THE TROGONS -Where found Peculiar Foot -Tender Skin Inability to 

 Climb Their Food THE LONG-TAILED TROGON, OR Q.UESAL Mr. Salvin's Account of its Habits Its Magnificent 

 Colour How they are Hunted THE NIGHTJARS, OR GOATSUCKERS Appearance Distribution The 

 Guacharo, or Oil-bird " Frog-mouths "Mr. Gould's Account of the Habits of the Tawny-shouldered Podargus How 

 it Builds its Nest Mr. Waterton's Vindication of the Goatsucker What Services the Bird does really render Cattle, 

 Goats, and Sheep Its Cry The Common Goatsucker THE SWIFTS THE COMMON SWIFT Migration Their Home 

 in the Air Where they Breed Nest Tree-Swifts The Edible-Nest Swiftlets Mr. E. L. Layard's Visit to the 

 Cave of the Indian Swiftlet THE HUMMING BIRDS Number of Species Distribution Professor Newton's 

 Description of the Bird Mr. Wallace on their Habits Wilson on the North American Species. 



THE SIXTH FAMILY OF THE FISSIROSTRAL PICARIAN BIRDS. 

 THE BEE-EATERS (Xeropida). 



THE Bee-eaters are among the most brightly plumaged of the Picarian birds, and are distributed over 

 the whole of Africa, India, the Moluccas, and Australia. One species (Merops apiaster) visits Europe 

 in the summer, being, however, nowhere so common as in the countries of the Mediterranean basin, 

 though they occasionally wander to England. Colonel Irby* gives the following account of the 

 Bee-eater in Southern Spain : " The bird did not appear to me to be quite so common in Morocco 

 at the end of April as on the Spanish side of the Strait, where, during April, May, June, and July, it is 

 one of the most conspicuous birds in the country ; at that season, Andalusia without Bee-eaters would 

 be like London without Sparrows. Everywhere they are to be seen ; and their single note, teei-p, 

 heard continually repeated, magnifies their numbers in imagination. Occasionally, they venture into 

 the centre of towns when on passage, hovering round the orange-trees and flowers in some patio or 

 garden. Crossing the Strait for the most part in the early part of the day, flight follows flight for 

 houi*s in succession. When passing at Gibraltar, they sometimes skim low down to settle for a 

 moment on a bush or a tree, but generally go straight on, often almost out of sight ; but their cry always 

 betrays their presence in the air. In some places they nest in large colonies ; in others there are, 

 perhaps, only two or three holes. When there are no river-banks or barrancos in which to bore holes, 

 they tunnel down into the ground, where the soil is suitable, in a vertical direction, generally on some 

 slight elevated mound. The shafts to these nests are not usually so long as those in banks of rivers, 

 which sometimes reach to a distance of eight or nine feet in all ; the end is enlarged into a round sort 

 of chamber, on the bare soil of which the usual four or five shining white eggs are placed. After a 

 little they become discoloured from the castings of the old birds, the nest being, as it were, lined with 

 the wings and undigested parts of Bees and Wasps. Vast numbers of eggs and young must be 

 annually destroyed by Snakes and Lizards. The latter are often seen sunning themselves at tho 

 entrance of a hole among a colony of Bee-eaters ; and frequently have I avenged the birds by treating 

 the yellow reptile to a charge of shot. The bills of Bee-eaters, after boring out their habitations, are 

 sometimes worn away to less than half their usual length ; but as newly-arrived birds never have these 

 stumpy bills, it is evident that they grow again to their ordinary length. It has often been a source 

 of wonder to me how they have the exertion to make these long tunnels : the amount of exertion must 

 be enormous ; but when one considers the holes of the Sand-Martin, it is perhaps not so surprising after 

 all. During my stay at Gibraltar, Bee-eaters decreased very much in. the neighbourhood, being con- 

 tinually shot on account of their bright plumage, to put in ladies' hats. Owing to this sad fashion, 



* " Ornithology of the Strait of Gibraltar," p. GG. 



