1*4 APPENDIX* 



tail, where broad, are of a light blue, but the long fharp 

 iingle ones are of a dark blue, like the tips of the wings. 

 Its bill is ftrong and well made, and has a pencil of hairs as 

 whifkers. Round where the beak joins the head, the fea- 

 thers are white ; the eye black, and well proportioned, fur- 

 rounded by a light name-coloured iris. The back is of a 

 very light brown inclining to cream colour, and of a call 

 of red. The feet are flefh- coloured and fcaly, has three 

 toes before and one behind, each with a fharp claw. 



Notwithstanding what has been faid as to the deriva- 

 tion of its name, I never heard it fcream or make any fort 

 of noife. It has nothing of the actions of either the mag- 

 pie or the jay. Buxtorf interprets the iheregrig by merops 

 the bee-eater, and in fo doing he is right, when he applies 

 it to this bird, but then he errs in miftaking another bird 

 for it, called Sirens, a fly-catcher, very-common in thcLevant, 

 which appear in great numbers, making a fhfill, fqualing 

 noife in the heat of the day ; and of thefe I have feen, and de- 

 figned manydifferent forts, fome very beautiful, but they fly 

 in flocks, which the fheregrig does not ; he attaches himfelf 

 equally to fwarms of bees and flies, which he finds in the 

 woods upon the trees, or in holes in the ground among the 

 high grafs. Of thefe there are great fwarms of different 

 kinds in the low part of Abyflinia. 



The Count de Buffbn has publifhed two figures of this 

 bird, one from a fpecimen I gave him from Abyflinia *, the 

 other from one fluffed, which he received from Senegal % 



fo 



* Buffer, plan, enlum. 6z&" f BufFon, plan, enlum. 326. 



