ORDER PASSERES. 401 



time with their parents, which gave rise, among the 

 ancients, to the idea that the young took care of 

 their parents in their old age. 



The two middle quills of the tail are a little 

 elongated, the first indication of a considerably 

 greater prolongation in the majority of the foreign 

 species. 



Indian Bee-Eater {Merops Viridis) . Enl. 740. Vaill. 4. 

 Green-gold above ; beneath green ; throat blue ; band 

 of black on side of head. Nearly nine inches. Ben- 

 gal. Apiastes, Bengalensis, Torquatus, and Merops 

 Egyptius are varieties of this. 



Variegated Bee-Eater {Me. Ornatus.) Lath. 

 Back and wings green, varied red and yellow ; 

 head varied red, black, blue, and yellow ; tail blue ; 

 outer feathers red. Two middle tail-feathers longest. 

 New Holland. 



Superb Bee-Eater (Me. Superhus.) Nat. mis. 18. 

 Plumage generally red ; forehead, eye, throat, and 

 rump blue. Middle tail-feathers longest. Nine 

 inches. 



Chesnut Bee-Eater {Me. Senegalensis. Enl. 314, 

 et Badius, 252.) Vaill. 12, 13. 



Upper part of head, neck, and scapulars chesnut; 

 brown stripe on side of head ; body blue green. 

 Eleven inches. Isle of France. 



Supercilious Bee-Eater {Me. Superciliosus.) 259. 



Vaill. 19. 

 Body and wings dull green above ; throat yellowish ; 

 below chesnut ; eye in a black patch, with a greenish 

 white band over and under it. About 11 inches. 

 Madagascar. 



VOL. VII. D D 



