MEROPS NUBICOIDES. 
CAE MINE-THROATED BEE-EATER. 
Merops superbus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xiv. p. 23 (1816). 
Merops nubicoides, Des Murs, Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 243 ; Bp. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 161 (1850); Von Mull. J. f. O. 
1855, p. 10; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 324; G-. R. Gray, Hand-1, of B. i. p. 100, no. 1214 (1869); Pinsch & 
Hartlaub, Vog. Ost-Afr. p. 185 (1870) ; Andersson, B. of Damara Land, p. 62 (1872) ; Gurney, Ibis, 1873, 
p. 255; Ayres, Ibis, 1874, p. 102; Sharpe, in Lavard’s B. of S. Afr. 2nd ed. p. 99 (1875-84); Bocage, 
Jom. Sc. Ac. Lisb. xxix. p. 63 (1880) ; Bocage, Orn. d’ Angola, p.537 (1881) ; Sharpe, in Oates’s Malabele Land, 
p. 301 (1881); Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 242. 
Melittotheres natalensis, ReicheDb. Meropinse, p. 82 (1852). 
Melittotheres nubicoides (Des M.), Bp. Consp. Volucr. Anisodact. p. 8 (1854). 
Merops natalensis, Reichenb. Meropinse, p. 78 (1852) ; Cab. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 142 (1859) ; Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 
Merops, p. 7 (1863) . 
Merops nubicus, Layard, B. of S. Afr. p. 69 (1867, nec Gmcl.). 
Inconjani, Matabele. 
Figures notabiles. 
Reichenbach, Meropinse, pi. ccccli. figs. 3252, 3253; Sharpe, in Layard’s B. of S. Afr. pi. iv. fig. 2. 
Hab. Southern Africa. 
Ad. M. nubico persimilis, sed mento et gula. late coccineis nec casruleis : rostro nigro : pedibus plumbeo-griseis : 
iride rubra vel rubro-fusca. 
Juv. pileo sordide nigricante viridi-cseruleo notato : corpore supra cum aliis sordide rufescentibus : remigibus nigro- 
fusco apicatis, primariis extemis in pogonio externo versus apicem viridi-cseruleo lavatis et secundariis intimis 
cum scapularibus sordide cseruleo lavatis : cauda, fusco-rufescente, rectricibus centralibus vix elongatis : vitta 
per oculos ducta nigra : mento albido, guhl cserulea : corpore cum alis subtus rufescenti-cervinis : crisso cum 
subcaudalibus pallide et sordide cseruleis : ui’opygio et supracaudalibus cseruleis. 
Adult male (Zambesi). — Resembles the adult of Merops nubicus in coloration in every 
respect except that the entire chin and throat below the black eye-stripe is rich red, rather brighter 
than the rest of the underparts, instead of blue. Bill black ; legs, feet, and claws neutral tint, 
and feet covered with whitish scales; iris red ( auett .), iris dark hazel {Oates). Total length 
about 13 inches, culinen T6, wing 6, tail 7'7, tarsus 0 - 5 ; central rectrices extending 35 beyond 
the lateral ones ; first wing-quills longest, and about 0-35 inch longer than the second. 
Adult female. — Resembles the male. 
Juv. (Transvaal). — Crown dull blackish, most of the feathers margined and tipped with blue, 
