Birds of Celebes: Meropidae. 
255 
Nest. “Breeds in holes in hanks. The holes are rarely less than 4 feet deep, and I have 
known them to extend to 7 feet Coften over 7 feet — Bingham XXIX], In diameter 
they vary from 2 — 2-| inches” (Hume 36). 
Breeding season. On the Irrawaddy at the end of April (Oates 36)\ Nerhudda Biver, India, 
by the 1®*^ April (Nuna 36)\ Mahanuddy Biver, India, in May (Blewitt 36)\ Lahore, 
Punjauh. in June (Marshall 36)\ Kaukarit Biver, Tenasserim, in April and May 
(Bingham 36). 
Distribution. Almost all parts of India (Dresser XXIX] Legge 77); Ceylon (Legge 77); 
Andaman Islands (Beavan 5); Nicobar Islands (Blyth 2, Davison d 2)] Burmah 
(Oates 26); Tenasserim (Bingham 75, XXIX, etc.); South China (David 75) ; Cochin 
China (D. & O. 10; Pierre 38); Malay Peninsula (Cantor 38, Davison 38, etc.); 
Singapore (Kelham 22, etc.); Sumatra (Baffles 9, Hartert 33, Modigl. 37^*^); 
Java (Horsf. 9, Boie 9, H. 0. Forbes 21, Yorderman 28, etc.); Bali (Doherty 51); 
Lombok (Yorderman, etc. 9, 45, 51); Sumbawa (Griiillem. 31); Flores (Wall. 38); 
Timor (Wall. 38), Biedel in Dresden Mus.); Celebes — Macassar (Meyer 7, 
16, Conrad 8, Platen el), Tjamha (Platen el). Pare Pare (P. & F. Sarasin 48), 
Maros and Luwu (Weber 41), Limhotto in Glorontalo Distr. (Meyer 16), Minahassa 
(v. Mnsschenhr. & Faber in Dresden Mus.); Borneo (Schwaner, etc. 4, 9, 34); 
Philippine Islands (Cuming 9, Everett 15, 38, Steere etc. 35, 43, 44, 46).. 
In addition to these localities Mr. Nicholson (21) records two specimens 
captured at sea by Mr. H. O. Forbes in the Indian Ocean a long way east of the 
Maidive Islands, viz. one, on Nov. 7*^, in 3°26'N. by 17° 48' E. (misprint, appa- 
rently, for 77° 48' E.); the other, on Nov. in 1°24' N., by 76° 43' E. 
In his excellent article on this Bee-eater, Mr. Dresser proves from ample 
quotations from the observations of naturalists that it is in the main a migratory 
species. 'The results arrived at may be briefly recapitulated with one or two 
additional observations as follows: 
Ondh and Kumaon: Hot season (May — Sept.), hut not in any numbers (Irby). 
N. W. Provinces: Arrive November; scarce, June; all gone July, August (Bingham). 
East Bengal: Arrive in February, breed in July and August, after which they dis- 
appear (Cripps). 
Lower Bengal: Chiefly, or only, during the rainy season (summer), (Blyth). 
Chota Nagpur: Hot season (Ball). 
Central and East India: Cool season. 
Calcutta district: Bainy season — June to August; never very plentiful (Munn 40). . 
India, W. Coast (Yirgola): numbers in January, by April not one to be seen (Bingham). 
Ceylon: Arrives in September, leaves in March — April (Legge). 
Pegu; Constant resident, hut in the rains comparatively few (Oates). Breeds in thou- 
sands on the Irrawaddy in April — May (Jerdon). 
Tenasserim: Partially migratory; appears after the rains and vanishes by the end of 
May following (Bingham). 
South China: Summer visitor (David & Oustalet). 
Singapore: Arrives in September; no mention of its occurrence except during the wet 
season (Kelham). 
Celebes: In the Minahassa plentiful only in the dry season during the east monsoon 
(April — Oct.); rare in the west monsoon (Oct. — April) (Meyer). 
