310 MEROPS VIRIDIS. 



ferrugineieeps : they are typical M. viridis, like birds from Central and Southern India ; but it must be remarked 

 that occasionally very rufous-headed specimens are procured in Madras. That the species is variable in this 

 character throughout its entire habitat may be gathered from the fact, demonstrated by Mr. Hume, of the Sindh 

 race almost wanting the rusty golden tinge. In Ceylon I have observed that nestling birds vary in the extent of 

 the brighter colours of their plumage when these are first put on, the development of such tints depending 

 perhaps on the physical vigour of the individual. I once shot a pair of young green Bee-eaters together, which 

 were, of course, out of the same nest — one with the normal plain green throat and short tail of the nestling, the 

 other with the blue throat-band appearing and the central tail-feathers half-grown. Perhaps the latter would 

 always have been a more brilliantly plumaged bird than the former; for the difference in age, at most 24 hours, 

 could scarcely have accounted for the backwardness of the plainer specimen in acquiring its adult character. 

 As regards the relative size of Indian and Ceylonese birds, I find that the wings in 8 specimens from Pegu (as 

 given in ' Stray Feathers ') vary from 3-6 to 3"8 inches, precisely the measurements given above for Ceylonese 

 birds. Some Indian examples have the central tail-feathers longer than any I have seen in Ceylon ; one specimen 

 from Kamptee in the British Museum has them 2-6 inches beyond the adjacent pair, 2-3 being my limit. The 

 dimensions given by Mr. Armstrong of the wings of several Burmese specimens, viz. 4-0 to 5-2 inches, are most 

 probably those of some other species entered by a printer's error in his note on M. viridis. 

 Concerning the species in North Africa, Mr. Dresser writes that examples from Egypt, India, and Abyssinia all have 

 the throat markedly green and the head but slightly tinged with rufous. This is, of course, to be expected, in 

 continuation of the characters displayed by the westernmost of Indian birds, viz. those from Sindh. He further 

 remarks that, according to his experience, Indian specimens have, as a rule, the throat tinged with verditer-blue, 

 and that those from Ceylon exhibit this character to a still greater extent; this, however, is with us somewhat 

 variable, as 1 have demonstrated above. 



Distribution. — The Green Bee-eater is a resident species and very numerous in all the dry parts of the 

 Id« country. It is most abundant about open scrubby land near the sea-coast round the north of the island 

 and along the south-east and eastern sea-boards. Its habitat seems to be restricted to a nicety by the 

 influence of climate. It is common in the interior of the northern half of the island, as well as in the 

 maritime regions, and can be traced along the foot of the western slopes of the Matale ranges from Dambulla 

 t.i Kuiuncgala, and thence across the dry country on the north of the Polgahawclla and Ambepussa hills 

 to Chilaw and Madampe, near which it stops, not being found south of Nattande. So much does it avoid a 

 moist atmosphere that it extends for a few miles south of Kurunegala, on the high road to Polgahawella, and 

 suddenly vanishes on the road entering the hills. South of these limits it is unknown throughout the Western 

 Province and the south-west hill-region, reappearing again just to the eastward of Taugalla, where the climate 

 again becomes dry ; beyond this all round the coast it is common, being particularly numerous in the 

 [Iambantota and Yala districts. I have traced it through the interior to the foot of the Haputale hills, but 

 it is much scarcer there than at the sea-coast. In the Eastern Province it inhabits the high chcenas in the 

 neighbourhood of Bibile, which attain an altitude of 1000 feet, and which is the highest point I have 

 found it to attain in Ceylon. Mr. Iloldsworth remarks, loc. cit., that it occurs about Colombo. I conclude 

 that the evidence on which this place is included in its range must be that of a stray bird ; for I have 

 never observed it anywhere nearer to it than the above limits, neither has Mr. MacVicar nor the taxi- 

 dermist of the Colombo Museum, both of whom have collected for many years in that part. 



This species is spread all over India, extending into liurmali, Tenasserim, Arrakan, and the Indo-Chinese 

 countries. It is common in the south of the Peninsula and ascends the hills. Mr. Fairbank procured it 

 at the base of the Palanis, and Mr. Davison has shot it at an elevation of 6000 feet above the sea in the 

 Nilghiris and found it breeding at about 5000 feet. In the Deccan and Khandala district it is common 

 according to Mr. Fairbank, and the same is true as regards the north-west of India; for Mr. Adam records 

 it as very plentiful about the Sambhur Lake, and Mr. Hume found it pretty common all the year round in 

 Upper Sindh, though comparatively rare in Lower Sindh. It is found along the base of the Himalayas, 

 but docs not extend to any elevation. In Chota Nagpur it is one of the " most abundant of birds." In 

 Cachar Mr. Inglis says it is common between August and April, in which latter month a large number 

 migrate. In Pegu it is extremely numerous in the low country, but not in the hills. In Tenasserim it is 

 generally distributed ; but it is absent from the islands of the Bay of Bengal, where our other two species 

 arc found. It appears to be a seasonal visitant to the neighbourhood of Calcutta, for Capt. Beavan records 



