MELITTOPHAGUS GULARIS. 
BLACK-BACKED BEE-EATER. 
Merops gvlaris, Shaw, Nat. Misc. ix. pi. 337 (1798) ; id. Gen. Zool. viii. pt. 1, p. 177 (1811) ; Yieill. Nouv. Diet, 
xiv. p. 16 (1816) ; Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, p. 75 (1825) ; Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 42 (1857) ; 
Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Merops , p. 12 (1863) ; Reich enow, J. f. 0. 1875, p. 19. 
Melittophagus gularis (Shaw), Gray, Gen. of B. i. p. 86, pi. xxx. (1846) ; Licht. Nom. Av. p. 66 (1854); Yon 
Miiller, J. f. 0. 1855, p. 11. 
Meropiscus gularis (Shaw), Sundevall, Ofv. k. Vet.-Ak, Forh. 1849, p. 162; Cah. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 132 (1869) ; 
Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 385 ; Gray, Hand-1, of B. i. p. 98, no. 1197 (1869) ; Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 4 (1871) ; 
Ussber, Ibis, 1874, p. 48; Bouvier & Sharpe, Bull. Soc. Zool. de la Prance, 1876, p. 305; Bocage, Orn. 
d’ Angola, p. 94 (1881). 
Nyctiornis gularis (Shaw), Bp. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 164 (1850). 
Figures notabiles. 
Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 337 ; Gray, Gen. of B. pi. xxx. ; Beichenbach, Meropime, pi. cccclii. figs. 3258, 3259. 
Hab. West Africa. 
Ad. niger, fronte, stria superciliosa et stria suboculari turcino-cseruleis et regione parotica eodem colore notata : 
supra- et subcaudalibus cum crisso turcino-cgeruleis : corpore subtus eodem colore striato et guttato : remigibus 
primariis duabus externis nigris, reliquis castaneo-rufis, pogonio externo nigro marginatis et terminatis : 
secundariis intimis elongatis, nigris, cseruleo marginatis : caudd nigra, rectricibus duabus centralibus turcino 
marginatis : niento et gula splendide rubris : pedibns nigro-fuscis : rostro nigro : iride rubra. 
Juv. saturate et sordide niger, dorso vix yiridi-cseruleo tincto : uropygio et supracaudalibus sordide cseruleis : alis 
et cauda sicut in adulto coloratis, sed sordidioribns : mento et gula sordide nigris vix viridi-seneo tinctis et 
indistincte rubro notatis : pectore et corpore subtus sordide caeruleo notatis. 
Adult male (Fantee). — General plumage deep glossy black ; forehead, a superciliary stripe 
above, and a slight stripe below the eye, upper and under tail-coverts, lower flanks, and a quantity 
of long splashes on the underparts of the body rich turquoise-blue ; ear-coverts marked with the 
same colour ; the primary quills (except the first two, which are black) rich rufous or foxy red, 
with the terminal portion and outer web black ; most of the short secondaries also foxy red, tipped 
with black, the rest black, slightly margined with blue ; central rectrices margined with turquoise- 
blue ; chin and upper throat rich deep vermilion-red ; bill black ; legs blackish brown ; iris red. 
Total length about 7 inches, culmen T32, wing 3'7, tail 3 - 0, tarsus 0 - 42. 
Adult female ( fide Heichenow). — Resembles the male, but when freshly killed has the black 
on the upper portions of the plumage tinged with green. 
T 
