124 MEROPID^. 



General Dbtrilmtion.—The Egyptian Nightjar ranges from 

 south-western Asia, Transcaspia, Turkestan, Afghanistan, 

 and Baluchistan to Egypt and Nubia. A partial migrant, 

 the birds from the northern parts of the range visit Egypt 

 in winter. It is accidental in Malta, Sicily, and Heligoland, 

 and is represented in southern Algeria, southern Tunis, and 

 the Libyan desert by C. cb. isabelUnus Temm. 



Suborder MEBOPES. 

 Family MEROPID^. 

 Genus MEROPS Linnceus, Syst. Nat. 1758, p. 117. 

 Typo : M. apiaster Linn. 



Merops^lJiepo^p, the Bee-eater, in Aristotle. Perhaps akin to /idpn"Tw=I 

 seize ; and not from fieipofiai, fiepi^txii I divide, and o^p^the face, as if " open- 

 mouthed," capable of speech. 



Merops apiaster. Bee-eater. 



Merops apiaster Linnceus, Syst. Nat. 1758, p. 117 : South 



Europe. 



Merops apiaster Linn. ; B. O. Z7. List, 1st ed. 1883, p. 82 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xvii. 1892, p. 63 ; Saunders, 

 Manual, 2nd ed. 1899, p. 283. 



Apiast&i; from apis=a bee. Servius, commenting on Virgil, Georg. iv. 14, 

 early in the 5th century, translates merops by apiastra. 



Distribution in the British Islands. — An Occasional Visitor, 

 but has never been known to breed. About forty have been 

 obtained in England and many others seen. About six have 

 been recorded from Scotland, one from the Shetlands, and 

 over twenty from Ireland. It is chiefly met with on the 

 spring migration but also in autumn, sometimes appearing 

 in small flocks. 



General Distribution. — The Bee-eater breeds in southern 

 Europe and the Mediterranean Islands, as far north as the 

 Camargue in south France, Hungary, south Russia, and 

 eastwards through Transcaspia and Turkestan to west Siberia, 

 Afghanistan, and Kashmir ; also in north Africa, north of 



