THE BEE-EATERS. 
53 
the species in Southern Spain, says that there is nothing dis- 
tinctive about Its food and habits. In the southern half of 
the Spanish Peninsula it “frequents the cool chequered shade 
ot the woods during the greater part of the day.” 
but rather larger and 
more boldly marked. Axis, i'2-r3 inch; diam., o-g-ro. 
THE BEE-EATERS. SUB-ORDER MEROPES. 
This is a group of birds confined to the Old World. Five 
genera are recognised, all very similar in structure, appearance, 
and habits, the birds being generally of bright coloration, with 
a curved bill, and long wing and tail. The latter is sometimes 
f^orked, sometimes square, but in the typical species the middle 
tail-feathers are elongated. f 
The palate is bridged or desmognathous, and there are no 
basipterygoid processes present. The breast-bone has four 
notches on its hinder margin, and the episternal process is 
perforated so that the foot of each coracoid meets through this 
opening : as a rule in birds the coracoids are kept apart at the 
base by this process. This is a singular character! found in 
Game-Birds, and also in the Hoopoes and Hornbills The 
feet are syndactyle or gressorial, the sole being flat and the 
toes united together, as in the Kingfishers and other groups 
of birds, which were formerly united under the name of 
kissirostres,’ or “ Wide-gaping Birds,” of which theBee-Eaters 
were always reckoned a component Family. The fourth toe is 
united to the third as far as the last joint, the second toe being 
united to the middle one for the basal joint only The tail 
feathers are only ten in number. 
_ The bill is long and gently decurred, both mandibles follow- 
ing the same direction at the tip. 
• a rule, resident birds in the countries 
m which they live. Africa possesses the greatest number of 
species, but those which range into the temperate portions of 
the Northern Hemisphere are migratory, and only appear in 
summer, and then never go very far north. Species are found 
in most of the tropical portions of the Old World, and range 
south to the Malay Archipelago and Australia. 
