CATALOGUE. 
85 
Merops orientalis et torquatus, Lath. 
Merops coromandus, Lath., var. 
Merops Lamarckii, Cuv., Beg. An. I. p. 442. 
Merops indicus, Jerd., Madr. Journ. L. S, XI. p. 227. 
Bli/th, An. Nat. Hist. XII. p. 93. 
Merops torquatus et ferrugeiceps, Hodgs. Gray, Zool. 
Misc. (1844), p. 82. 
The Indian Bee-eater, Lath. 
HuRRiAL and Puthinga, Hind., Jerd. 
Bans-ptjtter ("bamboo-leaf"). Hind., Blyth. Dr. F. 
{B.) Hamilton. 
Mo-NA-GTEE, Arracan, Blyth. 
A. B. Dukhun. Presented by Colonel Sykes. 
c. Calcutta. Presented by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 
d. Bengal. Presented by Dr. Falconer. 
e. Kumaon. From Captain R. Strachey's Collection. 
/ g. Drawings. From Dr. F. (B.) Hamilton's Collec- 
tion. 
" This well-known and common bird is spread in numbers over all 
India. It generally hunts, like the true fly-catcher, 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, captures 
it on the wing with a distinct snap of its bill, and then returns to its 
perch, generally sailing slowly with outspread wings, the coppery 
burnishing of its head and wings shining conspicuously in the sun- 
beams. Sometimes it hunts alone, at others 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, hawk- 
ing actively about. 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 repeats in the 
morning and evening when gathered together. In the bare table- 
land, the Hurrial generally retires to some secluded and jungly 
district for the purpose of breeding, which it is said to do in holes in 
