674. ' BEE-EATER. 



cinereous ; the webs of all of them brown above, and whitifh be- 

 neath ; the two middle ones are more than two inches longer than. 

 the others, and pointed : the legs are brown : the claws black. 

 Plac*. Inhabits Madagascar, where the natives give it the name of 



Patirich Tirich. 



Buffon alfo mentions another of this kind from Madagafcar, of 

 the fame fize and colours, but lefs diftinft : the bill weaker, and 

 the two middle tail feathers not longer than the others : the ftripes 

 on the fides of the head, and the rump and tail, fea green : but 

 in another like it, brought by Sonnerat, the two middle tail fea- 

 thers were a good deal longer than the others, which might arife 

 either from age or fex. 



This } or one very like it, is likewife mentioned by Dr. Pallas, 

 which inhabits the banks of the Cafpian Sea, making its neft in the 

 crags thereabouts, but migrates afterwards. 



5. Merops Philippinus, Lin. Syft. i. p. 183. N ^-. 



PHILIPPINE J_, e grand Guefpier des Philippines, Brif. orn. iv. p. 560. -N 12. pi. 43. 



B# f.i.—PI.enl, S7 . 



Le Guepier vert a queue d'azur, Buf. oif. vi. p. 404. 



Pescriptton. 'J'HIS fpecies is fomewhat lefs than the common Bee-eater: 



length eight inches ten lines. Bill above two inches * in 



length, and black : the head, hind part of the neck, and upper 



parts of the body, dull green, with a copper glofs ; but the rump 



* The gape of this bird is very wide, reaching much beyond the eyes, 

 which makes the bill to have this length of meafure. 



and 



