BEE-EATERS— HOOPOES 145 



While the Kingfishers present some species which 

 are dull-coloured, their near relatives, the Bee-eaters, 

 are all brilliantly coloured birds, green, blue and a 

 wonderful rose-red being the principal types, and 

 these colours are, in some, relieved by patches of red 

 and yellow. They are confined to the temperate and 

 tropical regions of the Old World. 



Bee-eaters, like Kingfishers, breed in holes in banks 

 or even in tunnels bored almost vertically into the 

 level ground and extending from three to ten feet. 

 These birds have long, pointed wings and long, wide 

 tails. In some species the two outer feathers of the 

 tail are longer than the others. The bill is long and 

 curved and the base of the bill is provided with short, 

 hair-like feathers. Bee-eaters feed upon insects, show- 

 ing a marked partiality for bees and wasps and ap- 

 pearing to suffer no ill effects from their stings. 

 These birds are common throughout the continent of 

 Europe, and when seen in flocks afford a most beauti- 

 ful spectacle. See Plate 9, Fig. 42. 



By many naturalists thought to be allied to the 

 Bee-eaters and Kingfishers are the Jacamars of South 

 America. In these birds the plumage is brilliantly 

 coloured, the bill is long, slender and sharp and the 

 comers of the mouth are protected by stiff bristles. 

 The feet are small and extremely weak and the toes 

 vary in number in different species. 



The Hoopoes are singularly graceful birds, having 

 long, curved and sharply pointed bills and very beau- 

 tiful plumage. Their wings are short and rounded, 

 legs short, the feet strong and armed with heavy claws. 

 The Hoopoes have a wide range over the whole of 



