165 



MEEOPS PEKSICUS. 



(BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER.) 



Merops persica, Pallas, Eeise Euss. Eeichs, ii. Anh. p. 708 (1773). 



Merops cegyptius, Forsk. Descr. Animal. Aves, p. 2 (1775). 



Le GuSpier savigny, Levaill. Hist. Nat. Guep. p. 30 (1807). 



Le GuSpier rousse-gorge, Levaill. op. cit. p. 52 (1807). 



Le GuSpier rousse-Ute oaZ« GuSpier Bonelli, Levaill. op. cit. p. 57 (1807). 



Merops longicauda, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xiv. p. 15 (1817, ex Levaill.). 



Merops ruficollis, Vieill. torn. cit. p. 22 (1817, ex Levaill.). 



% Merops ruficapillus, Vieill. torn. cit. p. 23 (1817, ex Levaill.). 



Merops superciliosus, Vieill. torn. cit. p. 20 (1817, nee Linn.). 



Merops savignyi, Audouin, Expl. Somm. PI. Hist. Nat. de l'Egypte (1825, ex Levaill.). 



Merops savignii, Cuv. Begne Anim. 2nd ed. i. p. 442 (1829). 



Blepharomerops savignyi (Aud.), Eeichenb. Handb. Spec. Orn. p. 82 (1851). 



Blepharomerops cegyptius (Forsk.), Eeichenb. ut supra (1851). 



Merops chrysocercus, Cab. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 139 (1859-60). 



GuSpier d'Egypte, French; Gruccione forestiero, Italian. 



Figurce notabiles. 



Levaill. Hist. Nat. Guep. pis. 6, 6 bis, 16, & 19; Savigny, Hist. Nat. Egypte, pi. 4. fig. 3; 

 Bree, B. of Eur. iii. pi. to p. 162 ; Shelley, B. of Egypt, pi. vii. fig. 1. 



Ad. supra Isete psittacino-viridis : fronte albidil, postice cseruleseente : superciliis et stria suboculari albis, 

 caerulescenti marginatis : tenia, per oculum nigra : uropygio et supracaudalibus cserulescenti tinctis : 

 mento flavo : gula saturate rufa : pectore et abdomine caerulescenti- viridibus : subalaribus pallide 

 ferrugineis : remigibus nigricanti apicatis : rectricibus duabus centralibus elongatis et nigricanti 

 apicatis : rostro nigro : pedibus fuscis : iride coccinea. 



Juv. supra saturate caeruleo-viridis, plumis vix pallidiore marginatis : rectricibus centralibus vix elongatis : 

 linea frontali nulla, et superciliis indistinctis : mento pallide flavo-cervino : gula sordide cinnamomeo : 

 corpore reliquo subtiis pallide cseruleo-viridi, abdomine centrali albicante. 



Adult Male (Egypt). Forehead -white at the base of the bill, then blue; superciliary stripe turquoise-blue, 

 being a continuation of the frontal line ; entire upper parts deep parrot-green, becoming bluish green 

 on the upper tail-coverts ; the green on the wings and tail tinged with russet ; quills tipped with black 

 and on the inner web margined with sooty brown ; a broad band passes from the gape through the eye 

 to the ear, this band being margined below with white and then turquoise-blue; chin dark yellow, 

 throat fox-red ; rest of the underparts as the upper parts, deep parrot-green ; under wing-coverts and 

 under surface of the wing at the base pale rufous ; under surface of the tail blackish grey ; bill black ; 



Z 



