E UR YSTOMUS MEROPS 465 



blue ; throat deep blue, with lighter stripes ; rest of the under parts 

 greenish blue ; bill, legs, and feet red, the tip of the bill black ; iris dark 

 brown or greyish brown. Gape T2, wing 7'3, tail 4*6, tarsus 0'75 inch. 

 Sexes alike. 



Hah. Eastern Asia from Amoorland to China; India from 

 the Himalayas to Ceylon and the Andamans, Burma, Malacca, 

 Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines. 



In its habits this bird is almost crepuscular, is essentially a 

 forest-haunting species, and is as a rule shy and wary. Its 

 flight resembles that of a Kingfisher, but it usually flies at a 

 considerable altitude. Its call-note is a deep guttural ka, and 

 its usual note a harsh Jay-like -Jciak, Teiak. Its food is said to 

 consist exclusively of insects of various kinds, which it either 

 captures on the wing, or picks from off the ground. It makes 

 its nest in a hollow tree, and in March deposits on the chips of 

 rotten wood at the bottom of the hole three eggs which are 

 broad ovals, pure white, faintly glossy, and measure from 1*34 

 to T42 in length, and T14 to 1*16 in breadth. 



MEROPS, Linn., 1766. 



666. BEE-EATER. 

 MEROPS APIASTER. 



Merops apiaster, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 182 (1766) ; Naum. v. p. 462, 

 Taf. 143, figs. 1, 2 ; Hewitson, i. p. 254, pi. Ixiv. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. 

 of E. ii. pi. 59 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 9 ; Newton, ii. p. 435 ; 

 Dresser, v. p. 155, pi. 295 ; id. Monogr. Merop. p. 75, pi. 18 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xvii. p. 63 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. 

 p. 113 ; Saunders, p. 283 ; Lilford, ii. p. 16, pi. 7. 



Guepier mdgaire, French; Abelharuco, Melharuco, Portug.'; 

 Abejaruco, Span.; Gmccione, Itah; JJienenfresser, German; 

 Biceder, Dan. ; Biatare, Swed. ; Tschur, Russ. ; Memuna, Arab. ; 

 El Leemmoon, Moor. 



ad. (Spain). Head, neck, and upper back deep chestnut, fading into 

 pale chestnut on the lower back and rump, and into isabelline on the 

 scapulars ; forehead and supercilium white tinged with blue green ; upper 

 surface of wings green, the wing-coverts chestnut ; upper tail-coverts 

 pale green ; tail greenish grey, the middle feathers elongated and tinged 

 with olive ; a line below the eye enclosing the ear-coverts, and another 

 across the lower throat deep black ; chin, throat, and cheeks golden 

 yellow ; rest of the under parts greenish cobalt, paler behind ; bill black ; 

 legs pale reddish brown ; iris carmine red. Culmen 1'6, wing 6 "1, tail 5'0, 

 tarsus 0'4 inch. Female similar but duller. 



H H 



