33 
Adult male (Ceylon). — Differs from the male from Egypt, above described, in having the 
crown, nape, and hind neck deep golden rufous and the throat verditer-hlue. 
Adult male (Burmah). — Differs from the ordinary type in having the forehead, crown, nape, 
upper hack, and ear-coverts chestnut, tinged with green on the forehead and crown ; beneath 
the black eye-streak a line of bright blue ; cheeks, chin, and throat greenish blue. 
This brilliantly coloured little Bee-eater inhabits the whole of the northern and eastern portions 
of the Ethiopian Begion, ranging just into the Western Palsearctic Begion, and the Oriental Begion 
as far east as Cochin China and as far south as Ceylon. I included it in my work on the Birds 
of the Western Palsearctic Begion on the strength of its occurrence in Palestine and North-east 
Africa. Canon Tristram (‘ Ibis,’ 1862, p. 278) obtained it in the Jordan valley. It is a common 
North-east African species and ranges there northward into the limits of the Western Pakcarctic 
Begion. Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., informs me that when travelling up the Nile he met with it 
two days after leaving Cairo, whence it was common up to Assouan ; and Captain Shelley states 
(B. of Egypt, p. 171) that it is “ a resident in Middle Egypt throughout the year, but does not 
during the winter months range north of Golosaneh. They do not congregate in flocks, like 
Merops apiaster and Merops cegyptius, but are generally to be met with in pairs or family parties, 
often perched in rows on the long leaves of the date-palms, or on the outer twigs of the sont 
trees. In flight they look extremely beautiful, as they skim gracefully through the air with 
outspread wings, showing the orange colour underneath like an illuminated transparency. 
They breed in holes in the banks in April.” 
Yon Heuglin writes (Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 203) that this Bee-eater is a resident in Central 
Egypt between 21° and 28° N. lat., and not uncommon along the Nile and its canals, where 
it breeds from Eebruary to April. In the autumn he observed it in Eastern Kordofan, in the 
spring along the Gazelle river, but he cannot say if it is sedentary there ; on the other hand, he 
believes that it breeds in the Bogos country, as it was observed there during the whole of the 
rainy season. Yon Hartmann observes (l. c .) that Antinori shot several specimens at Djergele, on 
the Nile, in 26° 25' N. lat., and he himself obtained several in full breeding-dress at Antub, on the 
Blue Nile, in September 1859. Mr. Blanford found it common in the coast regions of 
Abyssinia, more especially in the mangroves on the shores of Annesley Bay ; and other naturalists 
who have visited that country speak of it as being common there. It has been stated to occur 
in Madagascar ; but, as pointed out by Dr. Hartlaub, Brisson is the only authority on this 
point ; and as it has never been sent by any of the collectors who have more recently 
explored that island, it may be doubted whether it is really to be met with there. It occurs 
rarely in North-west Africa. There is a specimen in the Heine collection which was obtained in 
Barbary. Verreaux records it from Senegambia; the specimen on which Swainson’s specific title 
viridissimus was founded is said to have been sent from Senegal ; and it has been obtained in 
the Gaboon. There is, I may remark, a specimen in the Gould collection, now in the British 
Museum, said to have been obtained in Mauritius. In Asia it is found as far east as Cochin 
China. Mr. Blanford states (l, c .) that in Persia it is, of course, non-migratory, and is only found 
in the lowlands of Southern Persia and Baluchistan, to which Sir Oliver St. John adds that he 
found it common on the coast and in the neighbouring valleys up to 2000 feet. According to 
