YELLOW-HEADED BEE-EATER. l55 



the surface of a honeycomb. It again migrates 

 southwards, in va; t flocks, into other regions in the 

 month of September. 



YELLOW-HEADED BEE-EATER. 



Merops congener. M . flavescens^ dorso ferrugineo, fascia oculari 

 nigra, humeris coeruleis, caUda medio elongato-acwnmuta. 



Yellowish Bee-Eater, with ferruginous back, black eye-stripe, blue 

 shoulders, and tail sharp-elongated in the middle. 



Merops congener, M . Jlavescens , uropygio virescente, remigibus 

 apice ruhris, rectricibus basi luteis, Lin, Syst, Nat* , 



Merops alter. Gesn. Aldr, 



Apiaster icterocephalus. Briss. av, 



LMcterocephale ou Guepier a tete jaune. Biif. ois. 



Yellow-headed Bee-Eater. Lath. syn. 



This bird, which is described by Gesner, seems 

 to be unknown to modern ornithologists. It is 

 said to be somewhat larger than the Common 

 Bee-Eater, with the head, throat, and all the under 

 parts yellowish : the back and scapulars fine ches- 

 nut ; the rump of a mixed green and yellow ; the 

 smaller wing-coverts blue ; the middle ones mixed 

 blue and yellow; and the greater ones entirely- 

 yellow: the quill-feathers black, with red tips, and 

 the tail half yellow, and half green ; viz. yellow 

 half its length from the base, with the remainder 

 green : a black streak passes through the eyes ; the 

 bill is curved and black, and the legs yellow. Na- 

 tive of Germany, inhabiting, according to Gesner, 

 the neighbourhood of Strasburg. 



