BEE-EATER. 141 



dull green ; from the nostrils a black streak passing beneath the eye ; 

 chin and throat full yellow, beneath this a triangular patch of black; 

 between the two a fine blue line : breast pale rufous chestnut ; belly 

 and under wing coverts the same, but paler ; quills deep cinnamon- 

 colour, with dusky ends ; the lesser quills rufous as the breast, with 

 the ends black, and somewhat bifid ; all the side tail feathers rufous, 

 with black ends, the very tips cinereous ; legs black. 



In some specimens the under parts are dusky white. 



Inhabits Senegal, and other parts of Africa, likewise Abyssinia: 

 flies very swift, in the manner of a Swallow, and is difficult to be 

 shot. It seems to be a numerous species, as few collections brought 

 from Africa, are without containing several specimens. We likewise 

 observe, that they vary in size ; but how far such may arise from 

 variation only, or difference of sex, we are at a loss to determine. 



25— SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER. 



LENGTH nine inches. Bill one inch and a half, black ; head, 

 neck, and upper parts fine green ; throat and chin fine yellow, 

 bounded below with blue ; breast as the back ; from thence to the 

 vent inclining to blue ; rump, and under tail coverts pale verditer 

 blue ; under wing coverts deep buff"; upper ones as the back ; second 

 quills deep buff" orange, black at the ends for half an inch, and bifid 

 at the tips ; tail very forked, the two middle feathers three inches 

 long, the exterior four inches; colour dusky pale blue without, and 

 dusky on the inner webs, the same towards the end ; the two middle 

 ones plain, pale blue ; the rest, except the outermost, have the ends 

 nearly white, the shafts black above, and white beneath ; legs dusky. 



Inhabits Abyssinia. — In the collection of Mr. Salt. 



