34 
Dr. Jerdon (B. of India, i. p. 205) the Little Green Bee-eater “is found oyer the whole of India, 
extending to Arrakan, the Indo-Chinese countries, and to Ceylon. It does not ascend mountains, 
to any height at least ; and the specimen in the British Museum from Mr. Hodgson, marked from 
Darjeeling, assuredly never was killed there, though it occurs at the foot of the hills. 
“It is a very common bird, and is a most characteristic adjunct of Indian scenery. It 
generally hunts, like the Bly catchers, from a fixed station, which may he the top branch of a 
high tree or a shrub, or hedge, a bare pole, a stalk of grain or grass, some old building, very 
commonly the telegraph-wires, or even a mound of earth on the plain. Here it sits, looking 
eagerly around, and on spying an insect, which it can do a long way off, starts rapidly, and 
captures it on the wing with a distinctly audible snap of its bill ; it then returns to its perch, 
generally slowly sailing with outspread wings, the copper burnishing of its head and wings 
shining conspicuously, like gold, in the sun’s beams. Sometimes it may be seen alone, or in small 
parties seated near each other, but hunting quite independently. It frequently takes two or 
three insects before it reseats itself on its perch ; and in the morning and evening they collect in 
considerable numbers, and, often in company with Swallows, hawk actively about for some time. 
I have seen one occasionally pick an insect off a branch, or a stalk of grain or grass ; and Mr. 
Blyth informs me that he had seen a number of them assembled round a small tank, seizing 
objects from the water in the manner of Kingfishers. 
“ They roost generally in some special spot, sometimes a few together in one tree ; but at 
Some stations all the birds for some miles round appear to congregate and roost in one favoured 
locality. The bamboo tope at Saugor is a celebrated spot of this kind : here Crows, Mynas, 
Parrakeets, Bee-eaters, Sparrows, &c. collect from miles around ; and the noise they make towards 
sunset and early in the morning is deafening. 
“ The Bee-eater has a loud, rather pleasant, rolling, whistling note, which it often repeats, 
especially in the morning and towards evening, and often whilst hunting. They sometimes 
collect in small parties towards sunset on a road, and roll themselves about in the sand and dust, 
evidently with great pleasure. 
“ They breed in holes, in banks of ravines or of rivers, and on roadsides, laying two to four 
white eggs. Burgess mentions that in a nest that he examined there were three young ones all 
of different ages. They breed from March to July according to the locality, earlier in the north 
of India, later in the south. Mr. Blyth observed them breeding near Moulmein as late as the 
middle of August.” 
I find this species recorded from many parts of India. Captain Butler says that it occurs 
in abundance all over the plains of Northern Guzerat, and he also met with it in consider- 
able numbers at Aboo, but does not think that it remains on the hills in the hot weather. 
In Oudh and Kumaon it is, according to Col. Irby, “ excessively numerous throughout the year : 
ten or more may often be seen sitting on the same bush ; and on the telegraph-wires on the Grand 
Trunk Hoad I once saw, in the early morning, upwards of fifty within twenty yards. In one 
habit this bird resembles our Spotted Plycatcher ( Musciccipa grisola ) : it is incessantly flying a 
few feet in chase of insects, and settling again on its former perch.” Captain Beavan states (l. c .) 
that it is “ common at Barrackpore in the cold weather, arriving about the end of October. 
Breeds in Maunbhoom, where it is tolerably common, at the beginning of April. The eggs, two 
in number, are very round and of a pure clear white. The nest-hole is excavated in the ground.” 
According to Burgess ( l . c .) it is “ a common bird in the Deccan, but remarkable for its brilliant 
plumage, and active, fly-catching habits. It chooses for its perch the outside twig of a tree, whence 
