Birds of Celebes: Meropidae. 
253 
The present species, like M. apiaster of Europe, deserves its name of Bee- 
eater. Gould remarks that its food consists of various insects, chiefly Coleo- 
ptera and NeuTopteva] Cox & Hamilton observed that it is very destructive to 
bees. The same writers mention that it will plunge into water for a bath. 
^78. MEROPS PHILIPPINUS L. 
Blue-tailed Bee-eater. 
Plate VIII. 
a. Le Grand Guepier des Philippines (I) Briss., Orn. 1760, IV, 560, pi. 43; (II) T>a.uhent, 
PI. Enl. VI, pi. 57. 
Merops philippinus VjL., S. N. 1767, f. Wald.; fSjBlyth, J. A. S. 1846, 369; Grid., B. As. 
1855, I, pi. 36; (4) ScliL, Mus. P.-B. Merops 1863, 2; (5) Beavan, Ibis 1867, 318; 
(6) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, VIH, 42; (7) Meyer, J. f. 0. 1873, 405; (8) Pinsch 
& Conrad, Verb. z.-b. Ges. Wien 1873, 2, 8 (sep. copy); (9) Salvad., Cat. Ucc. 
Borneo 1874, 89; (10) David & Oust., Ois. Chine 1877, 72; (11) Hume, S. F. V, 
1877, 18; (12) Hume & Davis., ib. VI, 1878, 67, 498; (13) Ball, ib. VII, 1878, 
203; (14) Cripps, t. c. 258; (15) Tweedd., P. Z. S. 1878, 107, 282, 340, 709; (16) 
Meyer, Ibis 1879, 57; (17) Legge, B. Ceylon 1880, 306; (18) Vidal, Str. F. IX, 
1880, 49; (19) Bingli., t. c. 152; (20) Butler, t. c. 381; (21) Xicholson, Ibis 1881, 
143; (22) Kelhain, t. c. 378; (23) Beid, Str. F. X, 1881, 21; (24) Davis., t. c. 
1883, 350; (25) A. Mull., J. f. 0. 1882, 396; (26) Oates, B. Brit. Burmah 1883, 
n, 66; (27) W. Bias., J. f. O. 1883, 135; (28) Vorderman, Xed. Tdschr. Xed. 
Ind. 1883, 47; (XXIX) Dresser, Monogr. Merop. 1884, pp. XVH, 55, pL XV; 
(30) A. Mlill., J. f. 0. 1885, 155; (31) Guillem.. P. Z. S. 1885, 503; (32) Hume, 
Str. F. XI, 1888, 42; (33) Hartert, J. f. 0. 1889, 364; (34) Fverett, J. Str. Br. 
B. A. S. 1889, 164; (^54 Tristr., Cat. Coll. B. 1889, 97; (35) Steere, List B. 
and Mamm. Philipp. 1890, 9; (36) Oates, Hume’s Nests and Fggs 1890, IH, 63; 
(37) Hartert, J. f. 0. 1891, 296; (37^‘^) Salvad., Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. 1891, 47; 
(38) Sharpe, Cat. B. XVII, 1892, 71; (XXXIX) Meyer, Vogelskel. pt. XVH, 
1892, pi. CLXH; (40) Mann, Ihis 1894, 60; (41) Biittik., Z. Frg. Weber’s Beise 
Ost-Ind. 1893, IH, 274; (42) Oust., Nouv. Arch, du Mus. 1893, 138; Steere, 
Ihis 1894, 417; (44) Bourns & Worces., B. Menage Fxped. 1894, 34; (45) 
Vorderm., N. T. Ned. Ind. 1895, LIV, 333; (46) Clarke, Ibis 1895, 474; (47} 
Blanford, Faiin. Br. Ind., B. HI, 1895, 111; (48) M. & Wg., Abh. Mus. Dresd. 
1896, Nr. 1, p. 8; (49) Sharpe, Br. B. 1896, II, 57; (50) Jesse, Ibis 1896, 190, 
195; (51) Hart., Nov. Zool. 1896, 550, 595. 
h. Le Guepier a queue d’azur ou le Guepier Daudin (I) LevailL, N. Hist. Guepiers 1807, 
49, pi. 14. 
c. Merops javanicus (1) Horsf., Tr. L. S. 1821, XIH, 171. 
d. Merops daudeni (1) Cuvier; (2) Hume, Str. F. II, 1874, 162; (3) id., IH, 1875, 49. 
e. Merops philippinus var. celebensis (1) W. Bias., Ztschr. ges. Orn. 1885, II, 239; 1886, 88, 
violently used than is the tail of the Woodpecker, for the rectrices of the latter have *the webs tapering off 
to whalebone-like spines, which are used as a powerful prop to the bird during its pecking and excavating 
work. At the same time it should be pointed out that a somewhat similar form of quills occurs in some other 
birds, such as Carduelis^ where a corresponding cause for their formation cannot, perhaps, be supposed. 
