156 



INDIAN BEE-EATER. 



Merops viridis. M, viridis, gula iirovygioque cceruleis, fascia ocw 

 lari et pectorali nigris, rectricibus rnediis elongato-acuminatis. 



Green Bee-Eater, with blue throat and rump, black eye-stripe 

 and pectoral bar, and sharp-elongated middle tail-feathers. 



Merops viridis. M. virem, fascia pectorali nigra, gula caudaque 

 ccerukiSf rectricibus duabus elongatis, Lin, S^st, Nat, 



The Indian Bee-Eater. Edw. pL 183, 



Guepier vert a gorge bleue. BuJ^. ois, PI, Enl. 740. 



Indian Bee-Eater. Lath, syn. 



This species, which is about half the size of the 

 Common Bee Eater, has the shafts of the two 

 middle tail-feathers produced to a much greater 

 length in proportion ; the general shape however 

 and appearance of the bird is very strongly allied 

 to that of the European species. It is thus accu- 

 rately described by Edwards. " The bill is pretty 

 long, sharp pointed, and a little bowed downwards; 

 the upper mandible black or dusky, the nether 

 whitish at the base : from the corner of the mouth 

 there passes a bkick line through the eye, bending 

 downwards on the side of the head: the beginning 

 of the forehead, next the bill, is blue, as are the 

 throat, and sides of the head beneath the eyes : the 

 crown and hinder parts of the head and neck are 

 of a red or orange-colour : on the upper part of the 

 breast is a black transverse mark, hke a new moon, 

 with the horns pointing upwards : the back and 

 lesser covert-feathers of the wings are of a parrot- 

 green : the ruQip or coverts of the tail of a blueish 



