344 
Mr. Blythes Commentary 
1 observed breeding in the vicinity of Moulmein were of the 
variety M. ferrugeiceps, Hodgson. About Calcutta M. viridis 
abounds during the cold season, and is generally known to 
Europeans as the cc Green Flycatcher.” A very few remain to 
breed in Lower Bengal. 
118. Merops philippensis ; Gould, B. As. pt. vii. pi.; M. 
cyanopygius, Lesson. 
Noticed from China (Ibis, 1865, p. 30) and in Formosa by 
Mr. Swinhoe (tom. cit. p.348). 
119. Merops quinticolor ; Gould, B. As. pt. vii. pi. 
The mode of breeding in this bird has been described by Mr. 
Layard (Ann. Mag. N. H. 1853, xii. p. 174). It should be 
remarked that the common mode of figuring Bee-eaters and 
Rollers (as in Mr. Gould's ( Birds of Asia') gives altogether a 
false notion of the birds as seen alive. They sit much more 
erect, with the body-feathers compressed, those of the head 
and neck puffed out (the neck being undistinguishable), and the 
bill not in a line with the back, or nearly so—in fact much like 
the Haleyonidce and Bucerotidce (cf. Mr. Wallace's notice of 
Coracias temmincki in Ibis, 1864, p. 41). The living Motmot 
in the Zoological Gardens offers a suitable study to an artist 
who would correctly represent a Bee-eater or Roller in a sitting 
attitude. 
120. Merops ^egyptius, Forsk.; M. chrysocercus, Cabanis. 
Capt. T. Hutton describes this species and M. apiaster as 
arriving at Kandahar in the beginning of April, and leaving it 
in the beginning of autumn (J. A. S. B. xvi. pt. ii. p. 777)*. 
* In all Europe and Asia, the Asiatic islands, and Australia, there are 
seven species of true Merops. Two of them are western, M. apiaster and M. 
cegyptius, which just fall within the extreme north-west limit of the Indian 
region. M. philippensis inhabits the whole Indian region, with Southern 
China and Formosa, also Flores and Timor, being the eastern representa¬ 
tive of the preceding. M. bicolor , Bodd. (M. badius, Gm.; M. castaneus , 
Latham • M. sumatranus, Raffles; M. latreillii, Bonap.; M. hypoglaucus , 
Reich.) is peculiar to the Malayan province of the Indian region, or just 
spreads into Siam (P. Z. S. 1859, p. 151). M. quinticolor inhabits the 
Indo-Chinese and Malayan provinces, with Southern India and Ceylon; 
it was obtained by the late M. Mouhot in Cambogia. M. ornatus , Lath. 
(M. melanurus , V. and H.) belongs to the Australian and Papuan pro- 
