MEROPS NUBICUS. 
GREEN-THROATED BEE-EATER. 
Le Guepier a tete bleue, Month. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 506 (1779). 
Le Guepier cle Nubie, D’Aubenton, PL Enl. no. 649. 
Merops nubicus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 464 (1788) ; Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 12 (1823) ; Smith, S. Afr. Quart. Journ. 
2nd ser. part ii. p. 319 (1834) ; Gray, Gen. of B. i. p. 86 (1846) ; Strickland, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 216 ; Bp. Consp. 
Gen. Av. i. p. 161 (1850) ; Reichenb. Meropinse, p. 79 (1852) ; Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 66 (1854) ; Mull. J. f. O. 
1855, p. 10 ; Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Merops, p. 7 (1863) ; Heuglin, J. f. 0. 1864, p. 334 ; Hartmann, J. f. O. 
1866, p. 202; Bocage, Jorn. Sc. Ac. Lisb. ii. p. 135 (1867) ; Hartlaub, Orn. Westafr. p. 41 (1867) ; Heugl. 
Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 199 (1869) ; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 321 (1870) ; Pinsch & Hartl. Vog. Ost-Afr. 
p. 183 (1870) ; Bocage, J. f. O. 1876, p. 435; Pischer & Reichenb. J. f. O. 1878, p. 256; Pischer, J. f. O. 
1879, p. 282 ; Bocage, Orn. d’ Angola, p. 90 (1881) ; Porbes, Ibis, 1883, pp. 519, 521, 522, 523, 524-527 ; 
Shelley, Ihis, 1883, p. 556. 
Merops brasiliensis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 462 (1788). 
Merops cceruleocephalus , Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 274 (1790) ; Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xiv. p. 21 (1817) ; Shaw, Gen. Zool. 
viii. pt. 1, p. 168 (1821) ; Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, p. 75 (1825) ; Swainson, B. of W. Afr. ii. 
p. 87, pi. 9 (1837) ; Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 24 (1845) ; Vierthaler, Naumannia, 1857, p. 111. 
Merops superbus, Pennant, Ind. Zool. suppl. p. 33 (1790) ; Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 78 ; Shaw, Gen. Zool. viii. pt. 1, 
p. 161 (1811) ; Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, p. 73 (1825). 
Melittotheres nubicus (Gmel.), Reichenb. Meropinm, p. 82 (1852) ; Cab. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 141 (1859) ; Gray, 
Haud-1. of B. i. p. 100, no. 1213 (1869). 
Figures notcibiles. 
D’Aubenton, PI. Enl. no. 649 ; Swainson, B. of W. Afr. ii. pi. 9 ; Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 78 ; Reichenbacli, Meropinae, 
pi. ccccli. figs. 3254, 3255. 
Hab. Northern portion of Tropical Africa, 
Ad. capite et collo saturate viridi-cseruleis : gula infra nigricanti marginata : stria per oculos ductfi et regioue 
parotica nigris : dorso et corpore subtus rubro-sanguineis, hoc vividiore : alis et cauda rubris sed sordidioribus, 
remigibus versus apicem viridi lavatis et nigro apicatis : uropygio, supracaudalibus et subcaudalibus cyaneis : 
rectricibus centralibus valde elongatis : rostro nigro : pedibus fusco nigricantibus : iride rubra. 
Juv. adulto similis, sed sordidior, rectricibus centralibus nec elongatis. 
Adult (Panganik, E. Africa). — Head and tliroat deep bluish, green, on the throat the blue 
becomes blackish along the lower margin ; a band through the eye and ear-coverts black ; back 
and underparts generally rich deep rose-red, or pale carmine with a tinge of vermilion ; wings dull 
red, the remiges washed with green towards the tip and tipped with black ; rump and upper and 
under tail-coverts rich blue ; tail dull red, the central rectrices elongated and attenuated towards 
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