. FASSERIN &. 323 
as the middle one, is united to it as far as the penultimate ar- 
ticulation. We make but a single group of them, the 
* SYNDACTYLZ, 
Which. has long been divided into five genera. 
% 
*Merops, Lin. 
The Bee-eaters eae an Beas beak, triangular at base, slightly 
arcuated and terminating in a sharp point. There is a double emar- 
gination on each side of the hind part of the sternum. Their long, 
pointed wings, and short feet render their flight similar to that of 
Swallows. They pursue insects in great flocks, especially bees,’ 
wasps, &c. and it is remarkable, they are never stung by them. 
» There is a species, common in the south of Europe, but rare 
towards the north, the M. apiaster, L.; Guépier commun, En. 
Ban938; Naum. 143 ;-Vaill., Guep., 1 and 2. (The Common Bee- 
’ eater.) A pedhtiful bird with a fawn coloured back; front and 
belly of a sea-green blue; throat yellow, surrounded with black. 
oe . it builds in holes excavated by itself along the: banks of streams, 
: which are from four to five feet in depth. The young birds re- 
-main a long time in this retreat with their parents, which in- 
duced the ancients to belieye that the former supported the 
. latter when worn out with age. 
- The two middle quills of its tail are somewhat jeamumenad, 
the first indication of a much greater elongation in the greater 
\ part of the species foreign to Europe.(1) 
The tail of several species, however, is nearly scmeeeana or 
slightly forked,(3) though this sometimes depends upon their 
condition when killed. 
* 
o : 
(1) Such are: Mer. viridis, 740, Vaill. 4;—ornatus, Lath.;—superbus, Nat. Misc. 
. 78;—senegalensis, Enl. 314, and badiws, 252, Vaill, 12, 13; ;—superciliosus, 259, Vaill. 
19.—M. nubicus, Vaill. 5, Enl. 649; this individual had been deprived of its long 
quills. —M. Savignii, Vaill. 6—M. Cuvieri, Vaill. 9, and Swains. ll. 76, under the 
name of Savignii—M. Lamark, Vaill. 10. 
(2) Merops philippinus, Eni. 57;—M. cayennensis, 454 (N.B. That it is not from 
~-Cayenne).—WM. nubicus, 649;—M. erytropterus, 318;—M. malimbicus, Sh. or bicolor, 
Daud. Ann. du Mus. J, Ixii, and Vaill. 5, Vieill. Gal. 186;—J/. gularis, Nat. Mise. 
* 387;—WM. amictus, T. Col. 310;—M. Daudin, Vaill. 14.— J. cor omandus, Lath. Son- 
¥ 
ye 
nerat, Voy. 2, 105, or G. cytrin, Vail. 11;—WV. quinticolor, Vaill. 15;—M. minulus, 
Vaill. 17;—M. Lechenaud, Vaill. 18;—M. Bullock, Vaill. 20. 
(3) ©. taivd, Vaill. 8—M. urica, Swains. Zool. Ul. 8. N.B. The Merops conge- 
ner, Aldr. I, 876, is not very authentic;—the cafer, Gm. is the pupiiadelaaps: ;—the 
brasiliensis, Seb. J, lxvi, 1, is most probably an Icterus;—the M. monachus, cornicu- 
Jatus, cyanops, are Gymnops;—the Mer. phricius. eincinnalus, cucullatus, cyanops, 
Se 
