ON THE BIRD-LIFE IN NORTHEEN NIGERIA 29 



As I had never found their eggs before, I attempted to 

 dig out a nest, but had reluctantly to give it up, as the hole 

 went more than 6 ft. into the bank. All kinds of insects 

 form the prey of these birds. Once I shot one with its 

 mouth so stuffed with butterflies that it appeared to me 

 marvellous that it had not choked. 



When a bush fire is raging, it is an extraordinary sight 

 to see bee-eaters flock to the scene and show a reckless 

 fearlessness by flying right into the flames after their prey. 

 I remember once picking up a bird with its wings so singed 

 that it was unable to fly. 



While on the subject of bee-eaters, I feel I ought not to 

 omit to mention three other species that are to be found 

 in this part of Africa ; but to do this I must leave the region 

 of the Benue and take my way to Bornu and Lake Chad. 

 On the journey thither through the grass country and bush 

 we frequently observed the smallest of all the bee-eaters 

 {Merops pusillus), a pretty, graceful bird, which is not such a 

 lover of rivers as others of the species. Seldom heeding one's 

 approach, it merely swoops with a single beat of its wings on 

 to the stem of the next stooping reed. A rapid dart forward, 

 a snap of the beak, then back to its former point of vantage, 

 to gain which the bird performs a httle circular flight, almost 

 poising in the air at times, while the light catches the beautiful 

 green of its back and plays upon the fawn colour of its wings 

 till they look quite transparent. About the same size as this 

 species is another {Merops viridis) of which the general 

 colour is a beautiful grass-green, while the two centre tail- 

 feathers are much elongated and accentuate the elegance of 

 the bird. We only found it in the northern part of Bornu, 



