Bee-Eater. 295 



Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia, in all of which it 

 breeds, retiring to winter in Central and Southern Africa, and I 

 well recollect the day when we were moored to the banks of the 

 Nile, during the prevalence of a gale of wind, which easily 

 daunted our sailors ; the first flock of Bee-eaters arrived in the 

 middle of March, and immediately made their presence known by 

 their loud, shrill, and somewhat harsh cries, and by their rapid 

 flight, not unlike that of the swallow, as they darted backwards and 

 forwards above the river bank. It is essentially a sociable bird, 

 breeding often in large colonies, in holes which it excavates on 

 the banks of rivers, and also retiring to roost in flocks, when as 

 many as possible perch on the same branch, as close to one 

 another as they can nestle. Montagu reported that in Egypt, 

 where it is sought for the table, it was called Mdinoorghi, or 

 * Bees' enemy,' as assuredly it is. At the Cape of Good Hope it is 

 named ' Gnat Snapper/ and highly esteemed there accordingly, as all 

 will believe who have really suffered under the attacks of the hate- 

 ful mosquito ; and then again it is honoured, because it is a guide to 

 the Hottentots by directing them to the honey which the bees 

 store in the clefts of the rocks. Merops is simply pepo^, the Bee- 

 eater of Aristotle, probably akin to /jLapTrra), ( I seize ;' or possibly 

 from nepifa, ' I divide/ and cty, < the face/ as if ' open-mouthed/ 

 Apiaster, in use in the fifth century, is the Latin translation of 

 Merop8,from apis, ' a bee.' In France it is Le Guepier, ' Wasp-eater,' 

 in Germany, #ktt/resse?VBee-devourer ;' in Sweden, Bi-dtare, 'Bee- 

 eater / in Spain, Abejaruco, and in Portugal Abelharuco and 

 Melharuco ; but the latter, meaning ' Honey-eater/ is as 

 inappropriate as our English name ' Honey Buzzard' is to Buteo 

 apivorus. 



HALCYONIM: (THE KINGFISHERS). 



Members of this family are generally remarkable for the extreme 

 brilliancy of their plumage; they are chiefly natives of more 

 tropical climates, as the brilliant colours of their plumage 

 demonstrate, one species only, and that of marvellous splendour, 

 inhabiting this country or, indeed, Europe generally. They prey 



