124 MALAYAN ORNITHOLOGY. 
“ T shot specimens of each. One of the latter, a male, measured 
12 inches in length; irides crimson; head, nape, and upper back 
rich dark-chestnut; the two central tail-feathers taper to a point 
nearly 8 inches beyond the rest of the tail; chin, throat, and tail 
blue; lower back and tail-coverts pale-blue; beneath bright-green, 
becoming whitish and slightly tinged with pale-blue towards the 
vent.” 
Merors prittepincs (Linn.). The Blue-tailed Bee-eater. 
Very common in Singapore during the North-east monsoon. 
Arriving in great numbers towards the end of September, it 
keeps in flocks of from ten to twenty, and frequents low-lying 
ground and wet paddy-fields, over which it hawks for insects, at 
one moment swooping down at a great pace close to the ground, 
the next rising high into the air and sailing along without a move 
of its wings; when at rest it is generally to be seen on some con- 
spicuous isolated spot, such as the top of a post or the highest 
branch of a dead tree. 
In Singapore, I think I may put it down as migratory ; for, on 
reference to my notes, made daily, I can find no record of its 
occurrence except during the wet season. 
On 17th October, 1879, they were very plentiful at Séranggong, 
Singapore. One I shot measured 12 inches in leneth, bill at front 
15 inch; irides crimson; bill black; upper parts dull-green, 
tinged on the head and tertiaries with pale-blue ; ramp and upper 
tail-coverts beautiful light-blue; tail dull-blue, two central fea- 
thers elongated ; chin pale-yellow ; throat pale-chestnut ; abdomen 
pale-green ; streak below eye black, bordered below with light-blue. 
The entire bird, with the exception of the light-blue portions of its 
plumage, was most beautifully glossed with a gclden coppery tinge, 
giving it, when in the sun, a brilliant burnished appearance. 
NycriogNis amictus (Temm.). 
Certainly not a common bird, as I only once myself obtained 
it, though I saw it in Malaccan collections; then, being new to me, 
I assigned it to the Meropide. The following extract is from my 
notes made at the time :— 
“ Kwala Kangsa, Pérak, Feb., 1877. This morning my native 
bird-eatcher brought me two birds of most gaudy colours; he had 
