THE BLUE-BEARDED BEE-EATER. 
63 
in the present species_, even in the young, it is never shorter than 2'2j and 
in the adult male it reaches 2*7. 
The Burmese Hoopoe is very common over the whole of the plains 
of British Burmah_, and is also found in the lower ranges of hills. 
It extends through the Indo-Burmese countries to the hill-tracts of 
Eastern Bengal ; it is found in China_, in Siam and Cochin China, and for 
a short distance down the Malay peninsula, Mr. Davison having shot it at 
Tonka. 
This Hoopoe is found in all those parts of the country which are dry and 
abound in ants ; it frequents alike forests and open plains, gardens and 
Avaste land, and appears to be a constant resident. I have always met 
with it most abundantly in the dry forests called " Ingdein.''^ It is 
entirely a ground-feeder, eating ants and picking them up with great 
speed and facility by means of its long bill. The note, which is of a very 
peculiar character, is uttered chiefly during the breeding- season from 
February to April. When uttering it, the bird puffs out its neck and bobs 
its head. 
I found the nest in March and April. The eggs are laid on the bare 
wood in a natural hollow in a decayed tree ; they were three in number in 
the two instances in which T found the nests, but there are said to be as 
many as seven occasionally. They are of a blue colour. 
Family MEROPIDiE. 
Genus JNYCTIOENIS, Swains. 
455. NYCTIORNIS ATHERTONI. 
THE BLUE-BEARDED BEE-EATER. 
Merops athertonii, Jard, 8,- Selb. III. Orn. ii. pi. 58. Nyctiornis athertoni, Jerd. 
B. Ind. i. p. 211 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 103 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 73 ; Hume 8f 
Dav. S. F. vi. p. 68 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 583 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 85 ; 
Bingham, S. F. ix. p. 472. 
Description. — Male and female. The whole upper plumage, wings, tail, 
sides of the head and neck deep green ; the feathers of the forehead and 
crown tipped with blue and the back tinged in places with blue ; a broad 
line down the front from the chin to the breast deep blue, the feathers 
lengthened and each one broadly tipped with ultramarine-blue ; breast, 
abdomen and sides of the body buff, streaked with greenish ; vent and 
