Birds of Celebes: Meropidae. 
255 
Nest. “Breeds in holes in banks. The holes are rarely less than 4 feet deep, and I have 
knowni them to extend to 7 feet Coften over 7 feet — Bingham JtX/X]. In diameter 
they vary from 2 — 2| inches” (Hume 36). 
Breeding season. On the L-rawaddy at the end of April (Oates 36)-, Herhudda Eiver, India, 
by the April (Huna5ff); Mahanuddy River, India, in May (Blewitt 56'); Lahore, 
Pnnjauh. in June (Marshall 56'); Kaukarit River, Tenasserim, in April and May 
(Bingham 56). 
Distribution. Ahnost all parts of India (Dresser XXIX', Leggc i7); Ceylon (Legge 77); 
Andaman Islands (Beavan 5); Nicobar Islands (Blyth 2, Davison d 2)\ Burmah 
(Oates 26); Tenasserim (Bingham 75, XXIX, ete.)', South China (David 70) ; Cochin 
China (D. & O. 70; Pierre .55); Malay Peninsula (Cantor 38, Davison 38, etc.)’, 
Singapore (Kelham 22, etc.)', Sumatra (Raffles .9, Hartert .5.5, Modigl. 
Java (Horsf. 9, Boie 9, H. 0. Forbes 27, Vorderman 28, etc.)-, Bali (Doherty 57); 
Lombok (Vorderman, ete. 9, -75, 57); Sumhawa (Guillem. 57); Flores (Wall. 5S); 
Timor (Wall. 34^‘% 38), Riedel in Dresden Mus.); Celebes — Macassar (Meyer 7, 
16, Conrad 8, Platen e Ij, Tjamha (Platen el). Pare Pare (P. & F. 8arasin 48), 
Maros and Linni (Weber 41), Limbotto in Gorontalo Distr. (Meyer 76), Minahassa 
(v. Musschenhr. & 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 
Maldive 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. 9''’^, in 1°24' N., by 76° •IS' 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: 
Oudh and Kumaon: Hot season (May — Sejjt.), 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 (smnmer), (Blyth). 
Chota Nagpur: Hot season (Ball). 
Central and East India: Cool season. 
Calcutta district; Rainy season — .lune to August; never very j^jlentiful (Munn 40). 
India, W. Coast (Vh'gola): numbers in January, by April not one to be seen (Bingham). 
Ceylon: Arrives in Sej)temher, leaves in March — April (Legge). 
Pegu: Constant resident, hut in the rains comiiaratively few (Oatesj. Breeds in thou- 
sands on the irraivaddy 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 Seiitemher; 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 
C April— Oct.); rare in the west monsoon (Oct.— April) (Meyer). 
