THE BEE-EATEB. 79 



Remarks by Bellonius and Aristotle. 



The large wing-feathers are of a sort of orange 

 colour, with black tips, intermixed with some 

 few green ones ; the rest of the wing-feathers are 

 in some birds more red, in others more blue. The 

 tail is upwards of three inches long, and consists of 

 about twelve feathers; the two middlemost of 

 which are considerably longer than the rest, and 

 end in sharp points ; the colour of the tail varies ; 

 in some it is green, in others, blue ; the under side 

 of a dark brown. The bill is large and near two 

 inches, but bends downwards, and is a good deal 

 more arched than the kingfisher's : the tongue is 

 lender but appears rough towards the end and jag- 

 ged as if it were torn. The eyes are in some ha- 

 zle; in others of a fine red colour. The legs and 

 feet very nearly resemble those of the king-fisher, 

 the toes being joined much in the same manner ; 

 they are generally of a blackish colour, some- 

 times of a sort of brown or dusky red; the claws 

 black. 



Bellonius says it is common in the island of 

 Crete, and sometimes is seen in some parts of 

 Italy, but is unknown upon the continent of 

 Greece. It feeds not only on bees, but upon ci- 

 cada, beetles, grasshoppers, and other insects, and 

 also on the seed of nipplewort, bastard parsley, 

 turnips, &e. They fly in flocks, and frequent the 

 mountains that bear wild thyme. 



Aristotle says they build in hollow places or ca- 

 verns three or four cubits deep, and- lay six or 

 seven eggs. 



