i+8 O^^ClTHOLOqr. Book II. 



Bellonim writes, that it is fo common in Candy, that it is feen every where in that 

 Ifland. 



Arijiotle tdlsus, that it feeds upon Bees, whom all other Writers of the Hiftory of 

 Animals do therein follow. But it feeds not only upon Bees, but alio upon Cicada, 

 Beetles, and other Infecls. Yea,as BeUonius relates, upon the Seeds of Nipplewort, Ba- 

 Jiard Par/ley, Turnep, &c. not abftairiing from Wheat and other grain. From its exacf 

 ,• agreement in the Ihape and make of its Body, Bill, and Feet with the Kinvfijler, we 

 fufpefr that it like wile preys upon fifth 



BeUomits, in the firft Book of his Observations, writes thus concerning the Merops. 

 Flying in the air it catches and preys upon Bees, as Swallows do upon flies. It flies 

 not fingly, but in flocks, and efpecially by the fides of thofe Mountains where the 

 true Thyme grows. Its Voice is heard afar off, almoft like to the whittling of a 

 man. Its lingular elegancy invites the Candy Boys to hunt for it with Cicada, as they 

 do alio for thole greater Swallows called Swifts, after this manner : bending a Pin like 

 a hook, and tying it by the Head to the end of a thread, they thruft it through a 

 Cicada, ( as Boys bait a hook with a fly ) holding the other end of the thread in their 

 hand. The Cicada fo faftned flies neverthelefs in the Air, which the Merops fpy- 

 ing, flies after it with all her force, and catching it, fwallows Pin and all, wherewith 

 (he is caught. 



"§. IV. 



* The other Bee-eater of Aldrovandus. Merops alter,feu Meropi congener Aldrov. 



THe Germans call this Bird the Sea-Swallow; both becaufe at firft light it feems to 

 refemble a Swallow, partly in the fhortnefs of its Legs, and partly in its flying, 

 and alio becaule like the Swallow it catches Infects as it flies. I fhould rather make it 

 congenerous to the Bee-eater than the Swallow, becaufe it differs widely from the Sea- 

 Swallow [ lb much as to have little common with it. ] 



This Bird is a little longer than the precedent, and ( as its picfure Ihews ) a little 

 grofler or thicker- bodied: Its Bill is black, long, fharp-pointed, and approaching 

 fomewhat more to the figure of a Sithe than in that. The Head, Neck, Breaft, and 

 almoft the whole Belly yellow. From the bill it hath a great black fpot, which is 

 carried on backwards through the Eyes to the beginning of the Neck. The Back is of 

 a Chelhut eo!our,but mingled with green and yellow. The Wing-feathers are painted 

 with divers colours : For the firft [ the uppermoft ~] are blue,the fecond mixt of blue 

 and yellow, the third altogether yellow 5 the fourth, vi%. the prime or beam-feathers 

 black, with red tips. The upper part of the Tail is of a bright green, the lower of a 

 very fair yellow, fo that it feems to be half green, half yellow. It hath yellow Feet 

 and black Claws. 



\. V. 



* The Brafilian Cuira guainumbi of Marggrave, of kin to the Merops, 



IT is a Bird to fee to of thebignefs of a Pigeon, becaufe it is thick and deep-fea- 

 thered, but the bulk of the body, the feathers pluckt off, is indeed no bigger than 

 that of a Thr^/h, It hath a head fomewhat bigger than a Throfile 5 a black BUI about 

 two inches long, the upper Chap whereof is a little longer than the nether : Both up- 

 per and nether Chap are on both fides toothed like a Saw. It hath fhortLegs, not 

 much exceeding an inch in length, for colour black: Four Toes in each Foot, one 

 fituate backward, three forwards, as is ordinary: But the firft or inmoft foretoeis 

 fhorter, the middlemoft longeft, and the third again ftiort, but not of equal rife with 

 the reft : For the rife of the firft is from the middle of the foot,and alfo of the fecond 5 

 but the rife or beginning of the third is near the third joynt of the middlemoft: The 

 firft hath three joynts, the fecond four, the third again three, the back-toe but two. 

 The Claws are black, and bending downwards. The Tail is very long, ftreight, con- 

 lifting of a few ftreight feathers, about an inch broad, but ten inches long : Indeed 

 only two feathers make up the end of the Tail, which for two inches have naked 

 (hafts, and again have their ends web'd for two inches. The whole body is about fix 

 inches long. The feathers very beautiful : viz,, on their Head they have as it were a 

 Mitre or Crown of Sapphire-coloured feathers, which near the rile of the Bill refemble 



the 



