PASSERINA. 291 
The tail of several species, however, is nearly square® or slightly 
forked+, though this sometimes depends upon their condition when 
killed. 4 
We should approximate to the Bee-eaters certain long-tailed birds, with 
metallic-coloured plumage, hitherto classed with Promerops, but whose two 
external toes are almost as extensively united as those of the former f. 
There appears to be none of this genus in America, where they are re- 
presented in some respects by the , 
Prionites, Iilig. 
The Motmots have the feet and carriage of the Bee-eaters, but differ in 
the bill, which is stronger, the edges of both mandibles being serrated, 
and in their tongue, which, like that of the Toucans, is barbed. They 
are beautiful birds, as large as the Magpie; the plumage on the head, 
loose as in the Jays, and a long cuneiform tail; the stems of the two mide 
dle quills being stripped of their barbs (in the aduit) for a short distance 
near the extremities, gives to the whole a singular appearance. They 
fly badly, are solitary, build in holes, feed on insects, and even on small 
birds §. 
Aucepo, Lin. 
The Kingfishers have shorter feet than the Bee-eaters, and the bill, 
which is straight, angular, and pointed, much longer; the tongue and tail 
are very short. There are two emarginations in their sternum, as in 
those of the Bee-eaters and the Rollers. They feed on small fish which 
they capture by precipitating themselves into the water from some branch 
where they have remained perched, watching for their prey. Their sto- 
mach is a membranous sac. ‘They nestle like Bee-eaters in holes on the 
© Merops philippinus, Enl. 57;—M. cayennensis, 454. (N.B. That it is not from 
Cayenne).—WM. nubicus, 649;—WM. erytropterus, 318;—M. malimbicus, Sh. or bicolor, 
Daud. Ann. du Mus. I, lxii, and Vaill. 5, Vieill. Gal. 186;—WM. gularis, Nat. Mise. 
387;—WM. amictus, T. Col. 310;—M. Daudin, Vaill. 14.—WM. coromandus, Lath. Son- 
nerat, Voy. 2, 105, or G. cytrin, Vaill. 11;—WM. quinticolor, Vaill. 15;—J1. minulus, 
Vaill. 17 ;—M. Lechenaud, Vaill. 18;—M. Bullock, Vaill. 20. 
+ M. taiva, Vaill. 8.—M. uwrica, Swains. Zool. Ill. 8. N.B. The Merops congener, 
Aldr. I, 876, is not very authentic;—the cafer, Gm., is the Upupa promerops ;—the 
brasiliensis, Seb. I, lxvi, 1, is most probably an Jcterus;—the M. monachus, cornicu- 
latus, cyanops, are Gymnops;—the Mer. phrugius, cincinnaius, cucullatus, cyanops, gar- 
rulus, fasciculatus, carunculatus, of Lath., appear to us to be Philedons; we have even 
ascertained this to be the fact with respect to most of them;—the MM. cinereus, Seb. 
XXXI, 10, is a long-tailed Cinnyris or Soui-manga. 
{ The Promerops moqueur, Vaill. Prom. 1, 2, and 4 (Upupa erythrorhynchos, Lath.} 
The young bird has a black bill.—The Prom. namaquois, Vaill. 5 and 6, or Falcin, 
cyanomelas, Vieill. 
§ The Blue-headed Motmot, or the Houtou of Guyana, Guira, guaynumbi of the 
Brazilians, according to Marcgrave (Rhamphastos momota, Gm.), or Pr. brasiliensis, 
Illig. Enl. 370; Vaill. Ois. de Par. &c. I, pl. xxxvii and xxxviii;—the Motmot a téte 
rousse, or of Peru; Motmot dombey, Vaill. loc. cit. pl. xxxix, and Vieill. Gal. pl. exc; 
—Pr. Marcii, Spix, 9;—the Tutre of Paraguay, Azz. No. 52, are, to say the least, 
closely allied to it. 
Motmot, according to Fernandez, is the Mexican name of the first. Prionitis, from 
prion, saw, a name given by [lliger. M. Vieillot has changed it into BarrrHoNus. 
BEB 2 
