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over Southern India in the cold weather retire to the wooded hanks of this nohle river to breed. 
Mi. Philipps, however, mentions that he found this species breeding ‘in on old rampart opposite 
my house’ at Muttra, in the North-western Provinces; and it probably nestles in the hanks of 
the Ganges and Jumna, though I have seen no record to that effect.” Mr. Holdsworth, who met 
with it in Ceylon, says that it is “ a noisy bird, with a lofty, dashing flight, successfully pursuing 
the dragonflies, and then sailing hack on outstretched wings to its favourite station on the dead 
branch of some neighbouring tree, where the insect is killed and swallowed. In the early 
mornings of March, when there has been hut little wind stirring, and the sea was as smooth as 
glass, I have frequently observed these Bee-eaters hunting for insects close to the surface, and a 
quarter of a mile from the shore.” Col. Legge (l. c .) writes that it “ prefers to frequent open 
lands, plains studded with hushes near the sea-shore, esplanades, paddy-fields, swamps, and the 
patnas of the hill-region. It passes a great part of its existence on the wing, in pursuit of insects, 
after which it dashes with a very rapid flight, constantly uttering meanwhile its loud notes. 
When reposing from its labours, it rests on low objects, such as stumps of trees, fences, low 
projecting branches, little eminences on the ground, and often on the level earth, itself. It is 
tame in its nature, allowing a near approach before it takes wing. On rainy evenings in November 
and December, when the air is swarming with insects, and particularly with winged termites, 
which issue forth from their nests on such occasions, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater congregates in 
large flocks on the wing, dashes to and fro for hours together, ascending to a great height in 
pursuit of its prey, and keeping up its not unpleasant notes without intermission. When 
exhausted with these exertions, they settle on walls, trees, or the ground in little parties, and 
when rested resume their flight. I have seen such flocks as these night after night on the Galle 
esplanade, and often observed them flying round and round high above the fort before finally 
moving off for the night to some distant and common roosting-place. When its prey consists of 
beetles, dragonflies, or other large insects, which it espies from its perch, it is captured after a 
sometimes prolonged flight, brought hack, and killed before being swallowed by being repeatedly 
struck against whatever object the bird is seated on. This may often he witnessed when the 
bird is perched on telegraph-wires, which are a very favourite look-out with it. I have seen it 
dash on to the surface of ponds and rivers, and seize insects which were passing over the water. 
Mr. Holdsworth has observed it hunting close to the surface of the sea, at a distance of a 
quarter of a mile from the shore. J erdon notices its habits of congregating together, and writes 
that on one occasion he saw an ‘ immense flock of them, probably many thousands, at Oaroor, on 
the road from Trinchinopoly to the Nilghiris.’ They were sallying out from the trees lining the 
road for half an hour or so, capturing insects, and then returning to them again. As a rule they 
do not consort in close company, hut live in scattered flocks of about half a dozen, and often one 
or two birds constantly frequent the same locality. The note is difficult to describe. Jerdon 
not inaptly speaks of it as ‘ a full mellow rolling whistle.’ This Bee-eater retires late to roost, 
collecting to one spot from many miles round, and forming a large colony, which pass the night 
in thickly foliaged trees or hushes. On Karativoe Island I discovered one of these roosting-places ; 
the birds were flying over from the mainland some miles distant, and continued to arrive from 
various points on the opposite coast until it was too dark to distinguish them on the wing. They 
resorted to the borders of a small hack-water beneath the high sand hills of the island, which was 
lined with mangrove-trees, the thick branches of which afforded them a safe refuge.” 
Lieut. Kelliam, who met with this Bee-eater at Singapore, writes (l. c .) that “they arrive 
there in great numbers towards the end of September, keeping in flocks of from ten to twenty, 
