ir 



TAB. LXIX. 



M E R O P S apiaster. 

 Common Bee-eater* 



Gen. Char. Bill curved, quadrangular, compressed, 

 carinate, pointed. Nostrils small, at the base of 

 the bill. Tongue slender, the tip generally jagged. 

 Feet gressorial. — Turton. 



Spec. Char. Back ferruginous. Belly and tail 

 blueish green. Two of the tail feathers long. 

 Chin pale-yellow. 



Syn. Turton^ v. 1. 284. 



We could not overlook the beauty of the common Bee- 

 eater, as it is now entered into the list of British Birds. 



On July 2d, 1794, Dr. Smith, President of the Linnean 

 Society, communicated the account of one having been 

 shot (for the first time in Great Britain) near Mattishall, 

 in the county of Norfolk, by the Rev. G. Smith. The 

 identical specimen was exhibited, and I had the pleasure of 

 seeing it. A flight of about twenty more were seen in 

 June, and the same flight, probably, (much diminished in 

 numbers,) was observed passing over the same spot in Oc- 

 tober following. Having obtained specimens of both sexes, 



VOL. II. c 



