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selected in the densest forest, no doubt because the bird finds most food there. The holes, 
which have a diameter of about li inch, and are 3 to 5 feet deep, terminate in an oven-shaped 
enlargement which forms the nest, and which measures 2\ to 3 inches high, 4 to 6 iuches broad, 
and 6 to 8 inches long. The entire colony, consisting of forty to sixty holes, covers a space of 25 
to 30 square feet, the holes being about 4 to 6 inches apart. What an unerring eye these birds 
must have for each to distinguish its own hole amongst so many, for when flying in they only 
remain a second before the holes ! I found such breeding-colonies on the 24tli December 1850, 
and on the 13th, 24th, and 27th January, and 11th February 1851, but was never fortunate 
enough to find eggs or even nest-materials.” 
After a careful examination of specimens, as stated below, I have failed to find any specific 
difference between specimens from East and West Africa. Dr. G. Hartlaub, in proposing to 
separate the North-east African bird from the form occurring in West Africa, writes (J. f. 0. 1854, 
p. 257) as follows : — ■" The supposition that the West- African Merops bullockii occurs also in the 
central and north-eastern provinces of Africa, seems to require verification. Numerous examples 
of so-called M. bullockii from Senaar, compared by us, differ constantly from the West-African 
bird in having a turquoise-blue stripe, which, passing from below the chin, borders the black 
patch on the side of the head, and on the forehead is clearly defined to above the eye. 
This characteristic is present in both sexes, and is wanting entirely in the true M. bulloclm of 
West Africa, which, as correctly stated by Swainson, has only a slight tinge of blue before the 
nostrils. Besides, the dark blue edging to the black wing-spot is richer and clearer in the East- 
African bird (which I propose to call M. frenatus ) than in M. bullockii. The former is a larger 
bird, three examples now before me are fully 8 1 Parisian inches long. Levaillant, Latham, 
Vieillot, and Swainson describe the West-African bird. Beichenbach (Meropinse, p. 78) was the 
first and only author who figured and described our new species, which he considered to be M. 
bullockii, and incorrectly considered that the characteristics had escaped the notice of the authors 
named. With regard to the geographical distribution of these two closely allied species, 
Merops bullockii appears to be confined to the west coast of Senegambia ; at least proof of its 
occurrence in Guinea appears to be wanting. In the British Museum there is a specimen stated 
to have come from South Africa (qf. Gray, List, etc. partii. sect. 1, p. 72) ; we doubt if the locality 
is correct, as in South Africa the beautiful M. bullockoicles replaces its western and eastern ally. 
Our new M. frenatus appears to be nowhere commoner than in Senaar, where it is said to occur 
numerously on the banks of the White Nile and even more so on the Blue Nile (Vierthaler, 
Brehm). Buppell first speaks of it as being of occasional occurrence in the north-eastern valleys 
of Abyssinia (the so-called Kulla). In Kordofan it must be a very rare species, as the industrious 
collector Petherick never met with it.” 
After a careful examination of all available specimens I cannot recognize Dr. Hartlaub’s 
species as a valid one, and fully agree with Yon Heuglin that the distinctions given are not 
constant, inasmuch as I possess in my own collection specimens from Senegal which agree closely 
with both so-called M. frenatus and M. bullocki. In one specimen from Senegal the frontal line 
and the blue margin to the black cheek-patch are as clearly defined as in the specimen from 
Senaar ; in the second these characters are but slightly defined, and in the third they are wanting. 
In both the specimens in the British Museum from Shonga there is no trace either of the frontal 
line or the blue margin to the black cheek-patch. It appears to me that these characters, on 
which Dr. Hartlaub proposed to separate the eastern from the western form, are signs of age, and 
that those examples which have the frontal line and the blue margin to the black eye-patclx are fully 
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