483 
to the Ornithology of Egypt . 
121. Merops persxcus. 
Merops cegyptius Shelley, p. 170. 
Merops per si cus Sharpe, Cat. B. xvii. p. 66. 
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater appears to pass through the 
Province a little earlier than the preceding species. It 
probably breeds in certain parts of the Province. Major 
Sparrow tells me that he has seen it near Mazghouna in 
April, and from the appearance of specimens obtained in the 
Delta in May I have little doubt that they were about to 
nest there. 
122. Merops viridis. 
Merops viridis Shelley, p. 171. 
The Little Green Bee-eater is a resident and breeds in 
the Giza Province. Dr. Walter Innes tells me that he has 
taken eggs near Mazghouna, where the bird nests in holes 
in the ground amongst the “ Sont ” (Acacia) trees. 
123. Upupa epops epops. 
Upupa epops Shelley, p. 155. 
The Hoopoe is a regular visitor to the Province during 
the spring and autumn migrations. 
124. Upupa epops major. 
Upupa mctjor Brehm, Yogelfang, p. 78 (1855). 
A number of Hoopoes are resident in Lower Egypt, and 
examples of these, obtained in the Delta during the winter 
by Mr. J. L. Bonhote and myself, exactly match Brehm's 
type of U. major —which is a female adult (16/3/49) obtained 
by von Muller's expedition in Egypt and now preserved in 
the Tring Museum. 
The following is a translation of Brehm’s description of 
this bird :—It is l larger than all others, up to 12" large, 
2i" length of bill." 
In our specimens the bill is always longer, and much 
deeper at the base, than in European examples and those 
obtained in Giza during migration. Some of them agree in 
size with Brehm's type, but the majority are not markedly 
larger than the common form, except as regards the bill. 
This is a perfectly good form and it is interesting to 
