MEROPS APIASTER. - 
COMMON BEE' EATER, 
Generic Character. 
Bill quadrangular, carinated, incurvated, sharp 
pointed. 
Nostrils small, placed near the base of the bill. 
Tongue slender (mostly), jagged or fringed at the 
tip. 
Toes, three forward, one backward, the middle toe 
connected with the outer one as far as the first 
joint. 
Merops Jpiaster; dorso ferugineo ; abdomine 
caudaque viridi coerulescente, rectrici- 
bus doubus longioribus ; gula lutea. 
Common Bee-Eater. Black ferugineous ; belly and 
tail blue green ; two of the tail feathers 
longer ; throat yellow. 
Merops Apiaster. Lin. Stjst. v. I. p. 182. GmeL 
Si/st V. 1. p. 460. Will. Dm. p. 110. 
Raii Si/n. Av. 49. Ind» Orn. v. I. p. 
269. Bris. Av. v. 4. p. 552. Trans. 
, Lin. Soc, V. 3. p, 83S. 
Le Guepier. Hist. cVois. 6. p. 480. t. 23. 
PL Enl p. 938. 
Guepier Vulgaire, Temm. Man. Orn. ed. 2. pt. I. 
p. 420. 
Bee-Eater. Will. Orn. p. 147. Albin's Birds, v. 2. 
t. 44. Lath. Syn. v. 2. p. 6.67. lb. Sup. 1 . 
p. 119. lb. Sup. 2. p. 148. Shaw's Nat. 
Miscel. t. 162. Soiverbj/'s Br. MisceL 
