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The Grey-and-Red Bee-eater inhabits the western portion of Africa only, and, though not an 
uncommon bird in collections, hut little is known respecting it ; all the meagre details that 
can he gleaned relate merely to its occurrence. First described by Daudin under the name of 
Merops bicolor (a name which properly belongs to an Asiatic species), it has, though so different 
in appearance, been confused with that species by many naturalists ; the first author who gave 
it an appropriate name was Shaw, who also gave a very good illustration of it in his c Naturalist’s 
Miscellany ’ (l. c.). It appears to range from the Gold Coast down to Angola. Ussher writes 
(Ibis, 1874, p. 48) that he received two examples from Aubinn, hut he does not consider it a 
common bird in Fantee. Dr. Reiclienow (J. f. 0. 1875, p. 19) says that he saw several large 
flocks on the Gold Coast, at the foot of the mountains of Aguapim ; they hunted during the 
day on a steppe, settling on high trees, and in the evening they returned to the mountains for 
the night. Reiclienow also records it from Loan da, Weiss from Elmina, DuChaillu from the 
Gaboon, and Perrin obtained it in Angola. In habits this Bee-eater does not differ from its 
allies, and like them it doubtless nests in holes in banks and deposits white eggs ; but I find 
nothing whatever on record respecting its breeding-habits. 
The specimens figured and those described are in my own collection. 
In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 
E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 
a. West Africa, 1863 (DuChaillu). b. Gaboon (DuChaillu) . c, d ad. Abouri, 20tli February, 1872 (7 1 . /5. Buckley). 
a , ad. West Africa. 
E Mus. Tweeddcde. 
E Mus. Brit. 
a. West Africa {Stevens). b,c. Accra (Ussher). d. Cape Coast [Col. Strachan). e. Gaboon [Verreaux). 
E Mus. Paris. 
a. Angola ( Perrin ), type of Le Guepier gris-rose of Levaillant and of Merops bicolor of Daudin and Vieillot. 
