22b 



Catalogue of the Birds 



[April 



This well known and common bird is spread in numbers over all 

 India. It generally hunts like the true Jlycatcher from a fixed station^ 

 which is either on the top or upper branch of a high tree, or on the 

 branch of a shrub or hedge, a bare pole, stalk of grain or grass, or 

 some old building. Here it sits looking eagerly around, and on spying 

 an insect, which it can do a long way off, flies off and captures it on 

 tlie wing, with a distinct snap of its bill, and then returns to its perch, 

 generally sailing slowly with outspread wings, the copper burnishing 

 of its head and wings shining conspicuously in the sun beams. Some- 

 times it hunts alone, at other times in small parties, seated near each 

 other ; frequently it captures one or two insects before it returns to its 

 perch ; and in the morning and evening considerable numbers are 

 often seen, sometimes in company with swallows, hawking actively 

 about, and apparently catching many insects. The bee-eater also 

 often changes its perch, taking up a fresh one at some distance. It 

 has a peculiar loud, yet rather pleasant whistling note, which it often 

 repeals in the mornings and evenings when gathered together. In 

 the bare table land, the Hurrial generally retires to some secluded 

 and jungly districts for the purpose of breeding, which it is said to do 

 in holes in ravines. It sometimes picks an insect off the ground or off 

 a flower or branch. 



I have often seen this bird collect towards sunset in small parties on 

 a road, and roll themselves about in the sand and dust, evidently with 

 great pleasure. 



Length to end of lateral tail feather 7^ ; of wing 3 I'^^ths ; tail 

 2 ths ; two central tail feathers beyond 2| ; bill to front I y\ths. 



240. — M. Philippimis, Auct. P. E. 57. — Blue-tailed bee-eater. 



This bird, by no means common any where, is rarely met with in the 

 Carnatic or table land, and only, I think, in the cold weather. It pre- 

 fers a well w^ooded country, and I have seen it in Goomsoor in open 

 parts of the jungle, and in the west coast occasionally in similar situa- 

 tions. It is almost always found in small parties seated on the tops of 

 high trees, frequently among wet paddy-fields, and in general perhaps, 

 making a much longer circuit than the last one, capturing several in- 

 sects before returning to its perch. I have on one or two occasions 

 seen it perched on a low palisade overhanging some water, and every 

 now and then picking an insect off the surface of the water. I once 

 saw an immense flock of them at Caroor, in the Carnatic (Coimbatoor 

 district) and in the beginning of March. There W'ere many thousands 

 of them perched on the lofty trees lining the road there, which occa- 



