MEROPOGON FORSTENI. 



Forsten's Bee-eater. 



Merops Forsteni, Temm. in Mus. Lugd.— Schl. De Dierk., fig. at p. 53.— Idem, Mus. des Pays-Bas. Merops, sp. 8. 



— Meyer, Journ. fur Orn., 1871, p. 231. 

 Meropogon Forsteni, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn. i. p. 164.— Wall. Ibis, 1860, p. 142.— Wald. Trans. Zool. 



Soc, vol. viii. pp. 42, 111. 

 Nyctiornis (Meropogon) Forsteni, G. R. Gray, Hand-list of Birds, part i. p. 98. 



For many years a single specimen of this showy and fine Bee-eater graced the Museum at Leyden, and 

 remained the only individual that had reached Europe, until Dr. Meyer recently rediscovered it and added 

 additional specimens to our collections. That it should have escaped the researches of Mr. Wallace, whose 

 perseverance as a collector has been unequalled by any traveller who has braved the dangers of the islands 

 of the Eastern Archipelago and New Guinea, is very surprising, the more so as, to use his own words, he 

 had set his heart upon obtaining it. Much credit, therefore, is due to Dr. Meyer for supplying us with 

 additional examples, and for giving us a few brief details respecting its habits, which will be found below, 

 quoted from the 'Journal fur Ornithologie' for 1871. 



A difference of opinion has arisen among ornithologists as to the propriety of separating this bird from 

 the genus Merops and making it the type of a new one. Some would place it with Nyctiornis: but Lord 

 Walden has clearly shown that it possesses characters not found in that genus nor in Merops ; and I for one 

 quite agree with the late Prince Charles L. Bonaparte and his Lordship in generically separating it from 

 both. Lord Walden's remarks (comprised in his very valuable memoir on the birds known to inhabit the 

 Island of Celebes, published in 1872, in the eighth volume of the 'Transactions of the Zoological Society of 

 London ') are as follows : — 



"This species has the first primary half the length of the second, which is a little shorter than the third. 

 The third and fourth are longest, and equal. The fifth is somewhat shorter than the third and fourth, but 

 longer than the second. In the structure of the wing, therefore, it differs from both Merops and Melitto- 

 phagus, but agrees with Nyctiornis. The grooved culmen of Nyctiornis is not present; but a shallow channel 

 extends from the base of the maxilla, on both sides of the culmen, for two thirds of its length. This cha- 

 racter is not possessed by either Nyctiornis, Merops, or Melittophagus. The rectrices are truncated, as in 

 Nyctiornis ; but the middle pair are elongated, as in Merops, and closely resemble in form and proportion 

 those of M. philippemis. The feet are those of the family. The elongated pectoral plumes resemble in 

 character the same feathers in Nyctiornis. Altogether M. Fosteni may be regarded as a link uniting Nycti- 

 ornis to Merops, but most nearly allied to Nyctiornis." 



Lord Walden remarks in addition that " the African species which most nearly resembles M. Forsteni in 

 the graduation of the quills and the formation of the rectrices, the middle pair excepted, is M. bullockoides, 

 Smith." 



"In the year 1840," says Dr. Meyer, "Forsten found at Tondano, in Northern Celebes, a bird which 

 Schlegel subsequently described as Merops Forsteni. The single specimen which arrived at Leyden was the 

 only one that had then reached Europe ; and this beautiful bird remained for a long time a desideratum to 

 ornithologists from its rarity, and especially on account of its resemblance to another species, from Western 

 Africa. The authorities at Leyden gave themselves no end of trouble in endeavouring to obtain additional 

 specimens, Rosenberg remaining on the spot where the first was found for a considerable time with that 

 especial object, but all in vain. I have now at last succeeded in killing several males and females in the 

 neighbourhood of Rurukan, where Wallace had established a collecting-station. In a state of nature the 

 bird keeps in deep, hardly accessible woods, perches on the highest trees, and has all the habits of the Me- 

 ropidce. It is by no means rare, but difficult to find, owing to its retreating into the thick woods. To the 

 natives it is unknown ; and it was only after many vain endeavours that I succeeded in obtaining the specimens 

 above mentioned." 



The sexes, which are alike in colouring, may be thus described : — 



The lengthened feathers of the crown, cheeks, throat, and breast rich deep blue ; upper surface of the 

 body, wings, and upper tail-coverts deep grass-green ; two centre tail-feathers a somewhat richer green, 

 tinged with blue towards their tips ; lateral tail-feathers deep chestnut-red, narrowly edged throughout their 

 entire length with grass-green ; back of the neck dark brown ; abdomen green, suffused with brown on the 

 vent and under tail-coverts ; bill black ; irides crimson ; feet slate-colour. 



The figure is of the natural size. 





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