284 BEE-EATER. 
along the valley of the Danube, and in Southern Italy, the Bee-eater 
is abundant; and in the Spanish Peninsula it swarms from the 
beginning of April until the latter part of August. It visits the 
Canaries and Madeira, and is common throughout the basin of the 
Mediterranean and in North Africa, while in winter it is found as 
far south as Cape Colony. In Egypt it is abundant on migration, 
though few remain to breed, the representative species being the 
Blue-cheeked JZ. ersicus. Eastward, it reaches the Altai Mountains 
in summer, and North-western India in winter. 
The Bee-eater generally breeds in colonies, like the Sand-Martin, 
and banks by the side of rivers or dried-up watercourses may be seen 
honeycombed with its excavations, commenced soon after arrival ; 
the bill of the bird being sometimes worn down by the operation. 
In the great plains below Seville holes are often bored diagonally or 
even vertically in the ground ; and as the shafts vary from three or 
four to eight or nine feet im depth, the eggs, placed in a smaller 
chamber at the end, are not reached without labour. These, 
- generally 5-6 in number, are laid upon the bare earth, though after- 
wards surrounded by castings and the wing-cases &c. of coleop- 
terous insects ; they are pure glossy white, nearly globular in shape: 
measurements 1 in. by ‘g in. Though sometimes found by the end 
of April, the middle of May is the usual time, and only one brood 
appears to be reared in the season. Sacksfull of birds are taken in 
Spain by spreading a net over the face of an occupied bank and 
pouring water into a parallel trench cut at some distance back ; for 
the Bee-eater is hated by the peasants, owing to the ravages inflicted 
upon their numerous hives, though it also destroys large numbers 
of wasps, locusts, grasshoppers, beetles and other insects. The 
flight is light and undulating ; the note is a sharp gud. 
The adult male has the lores and ear-coverts black ; forehead 
white below, pale green above ; head, neck, upper back and a broad 
bar on the secondaries, chestnut-brown; remaining quills chiefly 
bluish-green ; lower back tawny-yellow ; tail green, the two elongated 
central feathers tipped with black; throat bright yellow, with a 
black band; under parts greenish-blue ; bill black ; feet reddish- 
brown. Length 11°25 in.; wing 6in. The female is greener on 
the back, duller in colour, and has the central tail-feathers shorter. 
In the young these feathers scarcely project; the upper parts are 
greenish-brown ; and there is no black gorget. 
An identified adult Blue-tailed Bee-eater, IZ. philippinus, is said to 
have been shot near Seaton Carew, Northumberland, in August 1862. 
