PICARIAS 
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15. Merops viridis reichenowi Parrot. 
Merops viridis veichenowi Parrot, Ornith. Monatsber; Vol. 18, p. 13 (1910) (Salomona, Eritrea). 
Hab. Eritrea, Abyssinia, Nubia (Chartum, Shendi). 
16. Merops viridis cyanophrys (Cabanis & Heine). 
Plothrus cyanophiys Cabanis & Heine, Mus. Heinean. Vol. 2, p. 137 (1860) (Arabien) 
Merops cyanophrys Cabanis & Heine, cf. Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. Vol. 17, p. 83 (1892). 
Fig. Heuglin, Ornith. Nordost-Afr. Vol. 1, pl. 6 (1869). 
Hab. Southern Arabia. 
17. Merops viridis muscatensis Sharpe. 
Merops muscatensts Sharpe, The Ibis, 1886, pp. 15, 65 (Muscat, N. E. Arabia). 
Merops muscatensis Sharpe, cf. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. Vol. 17, p. 82 (1892). 
Fig. Dresser, Monogr. Merop. pl. 10 (1886). 
Hab. Neighbourhood of Muscat (Eastern Arabia). 
18. Merops malimbicus Shaw. 
Merops malimbicus Shaw, Nat. Miscell. Vol. 17, p. 701 (1806) (Malimba); cf. Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. Vol. 17, 
p- 86 (1892). 
Fig. Daudin, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Vol. 2, pl. 62, f. 1 (1803); Levaillant. Hist. Nat. Guép. pl. 5 
(1807); Reichenbach, Handb. Merop. pl. 452, ff. 3256, 3257 (1852); Dresser, Monogr. Merop. 
pl. 19 (1884). 
Hab. West Africa, from the Gold Coast to Loango, 
19. Merops nubicus nubicus Gmelin. 
Merops nubicus Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Vol. 1, p. 464 (1788) (Nubia); cf. Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. Vol. 17, 
p- 85 (1892). 
Merops superbus Pennant, Ind. Zool. Suppl. v. 33 (1790). 
Merops caeruleocephalus Latham, Ind. Ornith. Vol. 1, p. 274 (1790) (« in Nubia »). 
Fig. notab. Daubenton, Pl. Enl. pl. 649; Shaw & Nodder, Nat. Miscell. Vol. 3, pl. 78 (1791); Levaillant, 
Hist. Nat. Guép. pl. 3 (1807); Dresser, Monogr. Merop. pl. 20 (1884); Journ. f. Ornith, 1905, pl. 9. 
Hab. West Africa, from the Senegal to the Niger; East equatorial Africa, from Abyssinia to the Rufiji 
(Zanzibar district). 
20. Merops nubicus nubicoides Des Murs & Pucheran. 5 
Merops nubicoides Des Murs & Pucheran, Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 243 (Port Natal). 
Merops natalensis Reichenbach, Handb. Merop. p. 78 (1852) (Port Natal); cf. Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 
Vol. 17, p. 84 (1892). 
Fig. notab. Layard, Birds South Africa, pl. 4, f. 2 (1876); Dresser, Monogr. Merop. pl. 21 (1884). 
Hab. South Africa, from Natal to Niassa Land, and westwards, from Damara Land into the Upper 
Congo region. 
2. GENUS AEROPS REICHENBACH 
Erops Reichenbach, Handb. Merop. 1852, p. 82 (type : Merops albicollis Vieillot). 
Characters. The first primary is much longer than the primary coverts, the second is 
shorter than the third, the two central rectrices are much elongated and attenuated at 
the end. Otherwise much like Werops. 
These birds are also gregarious, frequenting both the forests and the steppes, and seem 
to be migrants or partial migrants. Three forms (two undoubtedly subspecies and one species) 
can be distinguished. 
Geographical Distribution. The genus is confined to the Ethiopian region. 
