110 NILS GYLDENSTOLPE, ZOOLOGICAL RESULTS OF THE SWED1SH ZOOLOGICAL EXPEDITIONS TO SIAM. 



Fani. Meropidse. 



212. Melittophagus leschenaulti swinhoei. Hume. - The Chestnut-headed Bee-eater. 



Melittophagus swinhoei; Gyldenstolpe I p. f>3: Gyldenstolpe II: Gyldenstolpe III p. 231; Oustalet 1891) p. 292; 

 Grant p. 109; Robinson & Kloss p. 36; Robinson I p. 92; Robinson III p. 734. 



c? Meh Lua 7 / 8 1914. L = 200 mm.; W = 101 mm.; T = 81 mm.; C = 28 mm. — $ Baii Meh Na 

 2 Vo 1914. L = 203 mm.; W = 106 mm.; T= 79, -2 mm.; C = 30 mm. — Irides: red. Bill: black. Legs: black. 



The Chestnut-headed Bee-eater inhabits the well-wooded parts of Siarn but it seems 

 to avoid the dense evergreen jungles. It keeps to open deciduous forests and was often 

 seen perching on the branches of dead trees, now and then making aerial evolutions after 

 a passing insect. 



213. Merops superciliosus philippinus. Linn. The Blue-tailed Bee-eater. 



Merops philippinus: Gould p. 151: Muller p. 396; Grant p. 109; Robinson & Kloss p. 37: Williamson I p. 45 

 Robinson II p. 146; Gairdner p. 150. 



$ Cbieng Hai 7» 1914. L = 245 min.; W = 121 mm.; T = 92 mm.; C = 37 mm. — Chieng Hai 

 2 /s 1914. L = 215 mm.; W == 119 mm.; T = 89 mm. — ■ Irides: brownish red. Bill: black. Legs: black: 



The Blue-tailed Bee-eater was only observed at the neighbourhood of Chieng Hai 

 in Upper Siarn and even there it was rather rare. 



ft also occurs further south, though I never observed it there, and it has been re- 

 corded from Bangkok by Williamson and from Koh Samui and Koh Pennan by Ro- 

 binson. Gairdner gives it from the Ratburi and Petchaburi Districts but during mv 

 stay in the Siamese Malaya in the Districts south of those mentioned by Gairdner i 

 never observed it and the only kind of Bee-eater I found there was M. orientalis birmanus 

 Neum. 



214. Merops orientalis birmanus. Neum. The Common Burmese Bee-eater. 



Mno/is orientalis birmanus: Gyldenstolpe I p. 52; Gyldenstolpe II; Gyldenstolpe III p. 231. 

 Merops viridis: Gould p. 151; Oustalet 1899 p. 293. 



$ Kob Lak - 3 /n 1914. L = 213 min.; W = 90 min.; T = 109,5 mm.; C = 25 mm. — <$ Koon Tan 

 May 1914. W = 98 mm.; T = 125 mm.; C = 25 mm. — Irides: red. Bill: black. Legs: black. 



Generally distributed över the whole country though apparently more common 

 in the Southern Districts than up in the North. It goes about in small parties of about 

 4 to 6 birds and seems to live exclusively in open, cultivated land. Sometimes it was 

 also observed at the outskirts of the deciduous forests but never far from human habita- 

 tions. In the dense evergreen forests it was never met with. 



This racc inhabits Burma east to the French Indo China. 



