DEE-EATER BEEF-EATER — HONEY-EATER. 329 



From far Polynesia's Taheitian grove, 



Where, 'midst Flora's rich realm is his pleasure to rove, 



In his glossy green-black came the Poe-bird ( 14 ) 



bright, 

 Whose plumage and note afford equal delight. 



One of the handsomest of the tribe is the Viridis, or Indian- 

 Bee Eater, of a green colour, with a black belt on the breast 

 and the throat, and tail of the same hue; of this there are 

 several varieties, inhabitants of Bengal. 



( I3 ) Order, ViCM,(Linn.) Beef-Eater. 



The genus Buphaga, (Linn.) or Beef-Eater, consists of 

 two species only, distinguished by a straight somewhat square 

 bill, mandible gibbous, entire, more gibbous on the outside; 

 legs gressorial. The Africana, African-Beef-Eater, or 

 African* Oxpecker, is eight and a half inches long; picks 

 holes in the backs of cattle, for the purpose of getting at the 

 larva of the gad rly ; feeds also on insects ; found near the river 

 Senegal in Africa, and parts within the Cape of Good Hope. 



The Striped-Beef-Eater is the size of the former j a spe- 

 cimen is in the museum of Mr. Bullock. 



( l4 ) Order, Pic^e, (Lath.) Honey-Eater, the Poe, the 

 Great-Hook-Billed, the Hook-billed, &c. 



The genus ANTHOPHAGUs,(Z,a//i.) or Honey-Eater, consists 

 of seventy species ; they have a bill somewhat triangular at the 

 ba«e, and more or less bent at the tip ; nostrils rounded, partly 

 covered by a membrane ; tongue more or less extensile, formed 

 for collecting honey from flowers, which is supposed to be their 

 principal food ; legs made for walking. This genus is also di- 

 vided by Dr. Latham into those with thrush-like bills, and those 

 with creeper bills. The following are examples of each : 



The Cincinnati^, (Luth.) Poe-Honey-Eater, Po'e-Bce-Eater, 

 Poe- Bird, or Kogo, with a thrush-like bill, is rather larger than 



