37 
loud voice of the last species. It is either uttered when the bird is perched or when it is sailing 
along in pursuit of an insect, which it seizes with au audible snap of its bill. It usually preys 
on small flies or minute Coleoptera, avoiding large dragonflies and other giants of the insect 
kingdom, upon which the last species feasts and beats to death in the manner aforementioned. 
J erdon says that he has seen one occasionally pick an insect off a branch or a stalk of grain or 
grass ; and Blyth has seen them assembled round a small tank seizing objects from the surface of 
the water, after the manner of a Kingfisher. I have also observed them about rushy jheels and 
small tanks, but they are not particularly partial to the vicinity of water ” Mr. P. Moore also 
writes (P. Z. S. 1857, p. 87) : — “This bird abounds in the neighbourhood of Muttra. Its flight 
consists of short rapid jerks, and a quick gliding motion, and it generally returns to the same 
twig from whence it set out. Sometimes several of them may be seen wallowing in the dust on 
the highroad on a sunny morning. It feeds on insects, and builds its nest in the high banks of 
the neighbourhood. Its nest is in a very deep horizontal hole in perpendicular banks of hard 
earth, but often so low as to be within reach of the hand. Prom this it appears that whilst they 
guard against other birds, snakes, and squirrels effectually, they fear not man. These nests are 
generally on the highroad-side, and the birds fly in and out unhesitatingly.” I am indebted to 
Capt. Bingham for the following notes : — “I have dug out dozens of its nests both in the North- 
west Provinces of India and in Tenasserim, near Moulmein, and also in the interior ; for, though 
not a bird of the heavy forests, wherever there is any open country, especially rice-fields, there it 
is sure to be found. In the North-west Provinces I have found it breeding from April to July ; 
in Tenasserim in March, April, and May. Sandy banks of rivers and ravines, old mud walls and 
mounds, sides of roads, deep ruts on them, and even the bare level ground on sandy plains are the 
sites chosen for its nest-holes, which vary from 2 to 5 feet in depth, and end in rounded chambers 
about 3 inches in diameter ; these I have never found lined in any way, the eggs being laid on 
the bare ground. Both male and female engage in the work of excavation, digging vigorously 
with their bills, which get much abraded thereby, and pushing out the loosened sand with a 
quick backward movement of their feet. 
“ The following extract from an old note-book of mine well illustrates their perseverance at 
this task, from which they are not easily driven : — { Allahabad, 10th April. I noticed today a 
wonderful instance of perseverance in the little Bee-eater ( Merops viriclis ) in sticking to its task 
of digging its nest-hole. A number of these birds have taken possession of the sandy mounds 
used as butts on the rifle-range belonging to my regiment. This morning when I went down to 
superintend the individual firing of a party of recruits, previous to the commencement of the 
practice, I noticed two or three pairs of these little birds busy digging into the face of the butts 
behind and above the targets. When the firing commenced I distinctly saw two of the Bee-eaters 
clinging on to the sandy slope hard at work. Now sepoy recruits are not super-excellent shots, 
and the misses were many, the bullets flying wide of the targets and falling pat-pat-pat on the 
butt, close and around where the birds were at work. As each shot knocked up its little cloud of 
dust the birds would flutter off for a foot or so, but immediately in the intervals between the 
shots obstinately returned and continued digging, tooth and nail. This went on for fully half an 
hour or longer ; at last, after some narrow shaves (it is a wonder none of them were hit) they 
gave up their task as a bad job and flew off.’ 
“ In Tenasserim, near the large village of Kaukarit, on the Houndraw river, I found last May 
a nest-hole of this bird dug into the side of a deep cart-rut on a rough road leading across a rice- 
field. The rut was about a foot or so from a large rock, and the birds had dug straight up to the 
