138 BEE-EATER. 



and finishing on the jaw; chin and throat bright scarlet; the rest of 

 the under parts, and under wing coverts pale ferruginous ; across the 

 belly, just before the thighs, a white band ; lower belly, vent, and 

 under tail coverts fine deep blue ; plumage in general above bluish 

 green ; wings the same, all the second quills black at the ends ; tail 

 four inches long, even, dull green at the end, and rufous green the 

 rest of the length ; the two middle, and the exterior feathers green ; 

 the quills reach halfway on the tail; legs slender, black. 



Inhabits Senegal, in the collection of Lord Stanley, a fine spe- 

 cimen was also to be seen in Mr. Bullock's Museum. 



20— MALEMBIC BEE-EATER. 



Merops bicolor, Ann. de Mns. national, ii. 440. pi. 62. f. 1. 

 malembicus, Nat. Misc. pi. 701. Shaw's Zool. viii. 174. 



SIZE of the Common Bee-Eater; length ten inches; breadth 

 sixteen. Bill and legs black ; irides red ; head and neck slaty grey ; 

 chin white, extending in a stripe on each side of the throat; through 

 the eyes a black-brown streak ; body, wings, and tail, reddish vina- 

 ceous-colour ; throat, breast, belly, and sides, fine sanguineous rose- 

 colour, paler towards the vent ; the two middle tail feathers exceed 

 the others by half an inch, and end in a point ; quills black ; under 

 parts of the wings and tail greyish brown. 



Inhabits the vicinity of Malemba, in Africa, three months of the 

 year : seen in troops, which have a quick flight, like the Swallow, 

 in chace after hymenopterous insects ; seldom perching on branches 

 of trees, and more rarely seen on the ground. 



