VOL. XIV.] BEE-EATERS IN SCOTLAND. 57 



searching for food on a meadow in the background, stood out 

 in clear rehef. 



Viewed through glasses the birds were a perfect revela- 

 tion. The chestnut head and upper-back merging into 

 tawny-yellow or primrose on the lower-back ; the white frontal 

 patch ; the black band passing across the eye to the ear- 

 coverts ; the orange-yellow throat divided by the crescentic 

 black line from the bluish-green or greenish-blue under-parts — 

 in certain lights the green distinctly predominated — and the 

 dark green tail with the elongated central feathers — a feature 

 seen in no other bird on the British List — all attracted our 

 attention. Every now and then the birds made short flights 

 in pursuit of some insect, returning each time to the fence 

 after the manner of a Flycatcher. Twice on the first occasion 

 I saw them I noticed each bird with a large bee in its 

 possession. After repeatedly knocking it on the fence and 

 moving it about in its bill it suddenly swallowed the insect 

 whole. During the succeeding days we frequently saw this 

 act performed. 



At intervals the birds mounted high into the air making 

 rapid circling flights with an airy undulating motion — soaring 

 at times and exhibiting a grace of action seldom seen in any 

 of our native birds. Frequently as they rose into the air the 

 beautiful tail assumed the fan shape. 



Keeping them under observation for several hours daily, we 

 have no hesitation in saying that the Bee-eaters intended nest- 

 ing, as we independently discovered on the 7th that they were 

 frequenting a special hole in the sand bank and within three 

 hours one afternoon in bright sunshine I counted fifteen visits, 

 most of them being paid by the hen bird, which on some 

 occasions remained within for about ten minutes. At times 

 both birds were in together. Although we did not see the 

 birds commence to excavate the shaft we have little doubt 

 they made it, as we could see a small pile of dry sand beneath 

 it. Even the attitude of the birds as they sat together on the 

 fence indicated a domestic interest, and on one occasion ]\Ir. 

 Hamilton saw the male bird present his mate with a large 

 bee. We were further confirmed in our belief by the fact 

 that from the time we observed them at the hole referred to 

 they never approached any other of the numerous holes in 

 the bank. 



They displayed great excitement as they neared it, giving 

 utterance to their peculiar liquid notes, which are described 

 as sounding like " quilp " — a poor representation in our 

 opinion, as a liquid " r " undoubtedly enters into its 



