206 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



fixed station wliich may be the top-branch of a high tree, or a 

 shrub, or hedge, a bare pole, a stalk of grain or grass, some old 

 building, very commonly the telegraph-wires, or even a mound 

 of earth on the plain. Here it sits looking eagerly around, and 

 on spying an insect, which it can- do a long way off, starts rapidly, 

 and captures it on the wing with a distinctly audible snap of its 

 bill, it then returns to its perch, generally slowly sailing with 

 outspread wings, the copper burnishing of its head and wings 

 shining conspicuously, like-gold, in the sun-beams. Sometimes it 

 may be seen alone, or in small parties, seated near each other, 

 but hunting quite independently. It frequently takes two or 

 three insects before it re-seats itself on its perch, and in the morning 

 and evening they collect in considerable numbers, and, often in 

 company with Swallows, hawk actively about for some time. I 

 have seen one occasionally pick an insect off a branch, or a 

 stalk of grain, or grass ; and Mr. Blyth informs me that he had 

 seen a number of them assembled round a small tank, seizing 

 objects from tlie water, in the manner of a Kingfisher. 



They roost generally in some special spot, sometimes a few 

 together in one tree ; but at some stations, all the birds for some 

 miles around, appear to congregate and roost in one favored locality. 

 The bamboo tope at Saugor is a celebrated spot of this kind : 

 here Crows, Mynas, Parrakeets, Bee-eaters, Sparrows, &c. collect 

 from miles around ; and the noise they make towards sunset, and 

 early in the morning, is deafening. 



The Bee-eater has a loud, rather pleasant rolling whistling note, 

 Avhich it often repeats, especially in the morning and towards the 

 evening, and often whilst hunting. They sometimes collect in 

 small parties towards sunset on a road, and roll themselves about 

 in the sand and dust, evidently with great pleasure. 



They breed in holes, in banks of ravines or of rivers, and on road 

 sides, laying two to four white eggs. Burgess mentions that in a 

 nest that he examined there were three young ones all of different 

 ages. They breed from March to July according to the loca- 

 lity, earlier in the north of India, later in the south. Mr. 

 Blyth observed them breeding near Moulmein as late as the middle 

 of August. 



