322 BRITISH BIRDS. 



present species^ the explanation will probably be that there exists a southern 

 colony of this bird whose breeding-range is overlapped by the winter range 

 of the main colony in Europe^ and that the birds of this southern colony 

 winter somewhere in Central Africa. 



The migration of the Common Bee-eater from Africa to its breeding- 

 grounds in Southern Europe commences in AprU. Irby says that at 

 Gibraltar they may be generally seen in the morning in successive flocks 

 from the end of March to the beginning of May^ the earliest birds to 

 arrivcj as is the case with other migratory species, being those that breed 

 in the immediate neighbourhoodj the later arrivals migrating further north. 

 In the east of Europe the period of its migration is during the month of 

 April. In Greece and Asia Minor it arrives about the 1st of April ; and 

 Shelley saw it passing through Egypt on its way north on the 10th of 

 that month. Heuglin says that it is common throughout North-east 

 Africa from the end of March to the beginning of May. They leave 

 Europe for their winter- quarters during August and September, many 

 even departing by the end of July. They appear to migrate at night in the 

 autumn. 



Unlike so many showy birds that seek to hide their charms amongst 

 the deepest foliage, the Bee-eater is extremely partial to the open country, 

 quite as much so as Swallows and Swifts, which birds it resembles in 

 many of its habits. It haunts those situations which afford it a suitable 

 breeding-place ; and it takes up its quarters wherever there are convenient 

 banks or earth-cliffs, especially if they are near to water, although this 

 is not imperative. In these localities it is incessantly coming before the 

 observer's notice, either gliding about in graceful flight, wheeling round 

 and round, or perching conspicuously on the trees or bushes or the 

 telegraph-wires. The valley of the Danube is a favourite retreat of the 

 Bee-eater; and as the traveller journeys down this river, this bird is 

 frequently to be seen wherever the banks are steep and sandy. It is 

 gregarious, and great numbers live together, making a charming effect as 

 the sun glances on their brilliant plumage, which is constantly being ex- 

 posed in different positions as the birds gambol and wheel and turn. 



The flight of the Bee-eater is easy and buoyant in the extreme. They 

 have a curious habit of shooting themselves forward by jerks, and remaining 

 for a few moments suspended in the air, with wings and tail expanded, 

 apparently for no other reason than to amuse themselves. They perch 

 freely on sticks and reeds and as often on the ground. On the 24th of 

 May last year, on the banks of the Danube, near the large island below 

 Rustchuk, I saw a colony of these birds. We tried to dig out several of 

 their nests, but they were too deep for our pocket-knives or seemed to be 

 unfinished. Hovering in front of their holes, or seated on a ledge of sandy 

 earth, or on the ploughed field above, or on the branch of some willow 



