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generally hunts, like the true Fly-catcher, from a fixed station, which is either on the top or upper hranch of 

 a high tree, or on the branch of a shrub or hedge, a bare pole, a stalk of grain or grass, or some old 

 building. Here it sits looking eagerly around, and on spying an insect, which it can do a long way off, 

 captures it on the wing with a distinct snap of its bill, and then returns to its perch, generally sailing 

 slowly with outspread wings, the coppery burnishing of its head and wings shining conspicuously in the 

 sun-beams. Sometimes it hunts alone, at others in small parties, seated near each other. Frequently it 

 captures one or two insects before it returns to its perch ; and in the morning and evening considerable 

 numbers are often seen, sometimes in company with swallows, hawking actively about. The Bee-eater also 

 often changes its perch, taking up a fresh one at some distance. It has a peculiar, loud, yet rather pleasant 

 whistling note, which it often repeats in the morning and evening when gathered together. In the bare 

 table-land it generally retires to some secluded and jungly district for the purpose of breeding, which it is said 

 to do in holes in ravines. It sometimes picks an insect off the ground, or off a flower or branch. I have 

 often seen this bird collect towards sunset in small parties on a road, and roll themselves about in the sand 

 and dust, evidently with great pleasure." 



From Dr. Horsfield's valuable ' Catalogue of the Birds in the Museum of the East India Company,' we learn 

 that "Mr. C. W. Smith, in his MS. notes, says, ' Their time of incubation is the month of June; and for 

 months after they are hatched, the whole brood congregate, and swim about with the swiftest and most entire 

 movements through the air, making short dips, and returning to the topmost twig from which they took 

 flight : during these evolutions, they are busily employed in snapping up the insects.' " 



Mr. Pearson informs us that " The Green Bee-eater has the power of gliding along for some distance 

 without closing its wings, so that its flight consists of two parts, — a rapid commencement, in which the wings 

 flap rapidly ; and a quick glide, with the wings and tail fully expanded. Its motion, especially in this latter 

 position, is extremely elegant." 



I find a figure of this species among the drawings of the late Hon. F. J. Shore, and the following brief 

 remarks among the accompanying notes : — 



" The sexes are alike : the young are all dull green : some have the forehead gilded. 



" Common from Calcutta to the Himalayas, and in the Sagur and Nurbudda territories. Killed at 

 Allahabad, Mar. 19, 1832." 



Captain R. C. Tytler remarks that the little green Merops viridis is very common at Barrackpore. 



The following notice of this bird occurs in the MS. of Capt. Boys : — 



" The beauty of the plumage of this lively and active little bird tends much to enliven an Indian scene. 

 It darts with celerity on any passing insect, and returns with its captive to the twig whence it started, and 

 which in the earlier parts of the morning is usually on the sunny side of some tall shrub or tree, and on the 

 shady side daring the heat of the day. Its note is monotonous, between a chirp and a twitter, and only 

 emitted while the bird is on the wing. It is common all over the eastern parts of India, and as low down 

 as Sultanpore, where I shot examples at the end of September 1841. I have not seen it at Shirkarpore, 

 and only as low down the Indus as Gothku. I observed it to be numerous at Ferozepore in May 1846." 



And lastly, Mr. Layard, in his ' Notes on the Ornithology of Ceylon,' informs us that there, " This species 

 is confined to the open plains of the maritime districts. I have seen it at Trincomalee and Hambantotte, 

 and traced it from Chilau to Mulletivoe. I am not aware if it be found near Columbo or in the interior, 

 where the M. PMlippinus and M. qulntkolor appear to replace it. 



"It delights in the neighbourhood of water, over which it hunts for insects. I have even seen it take 

 them' from off the surface, which it has struck with its breast in the endeavour. It is a much bolder bird 

 than either of the other two, often allowing of approach within a few feet before seeking its safety in flight. 



"Merops viridis roosts in large flocks, always returning to the same tree for successive months, and 

 usually retires before five o'clock in the evening, whereas M. PMlippinus flies till dark." 



Head, upper surface and wings green, with a wash of golden-brown on the crown and the back of the 

 neck ; primaries and secondaries rufous, washed with green on the outer webs and tipped with brownish- 

 black ; tertiaries green ; under surface of the wing fawn-colour ; lores and ear-coverts black ; under surface 

 grass-green, with a wash of blue on the throat and a conspicuous streak of black, ending in a point on each 

 side, across the chest ; tail green, the lateral feathers margined internally with ashy ; all with dark shafts, 

 and the elongated portion of the two central feathers black ; irides crimson ; bill black ; feet purplish-grey. 



The sexes offer no perceptible difference in their colouring, but the young differ in being destitute of the 

 filamentous prolongations of the middle tail-feathers. 



The foremost figure in the Plate is of the natural size, the other is a little reduced. 



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