28 A CATAIOGIJE OP THE BIEDS 



Yarrell mentions the occurrence of an individual of this spe- 

 cies, in 1843, in Ireland. These two are, I believe, the only- 

 examples that have been captm-ed in the British Islands. 



Pamily. COEACIADIDJE, Bonaparte. 

 24. CORACIAS, Linnmis. 



7. RoLLEE. C. GAEBITLA, ZmnCBUS. 



Coracias garrula, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, I., 93. 

 Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, II., 211. 



This rare casual visitant has been taken several times in the 

 district. Mr. Selby mentions in his catalogue the occiu-rence of 

 three, and I have to record other four captures. Some years 

 ago a specimen was shot near Earsdon ; another fine individual 

 was killed June 26th, 1847, on the estate of J". T. Wharton, 

 Esq., near Eedcar, and is in my possession ; the third example 

 was shot at Eslington, September, 1868, and is in the collec- 

 tion at Eavensworth Castle ; the fourth was shot on the Hun- 

 wick Estate, Durham, on May the 25th or 26th, 1872, by Mr. 

 H. Gomall, Bishop Auckland, and was kindly presented to me 

 by him. 



Family. MEEOPID^, Vigors. 

 25. MEROPS, Linnmis. 



8. Blue-tailed Bee-eater. M. Phillipensis, Linnmis. 

 Merops PhilUpensis, Jerdon, Birds of India, I., 207. 



A fine specimen of this species was kindly submitted to me by 

 the Eov. T. M. Hicks, of ISTewburn, in whose possession it now 

 is. It was shot near the Snook, Seaton Carew, in August, 1862, 

 by Mr. Thomas Hann, of Byers' Green. This bird is a very rare 

 casual visitant, and the above example, so far as I know, is the 

 first recorded individual killed in Britain. 



In Jordon's "Birds of India," Vol. I., p. 207, it is stated, 

 that "this handsome Bcc-eatcr is spread more or less over all 



