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| The SWALLOW#TAIL Dp KING-FESHER*> 
Tt FLIS Plate reprefents the Bird in its natural Size, which is nearly that of the: 
Enghfh Kmg-ffber, and it agrees alfo with ours in Shape, except the Wing being 
a little longer, and the Tail much longer, without regard to the two longeft Feathers; 
the Bill is long, ftraight, and fharp-pointed, black of Colour, channeled on each Side 
in the upper Mandible, in which Channels are placed, the Noftrils pretty near the 
Head; the Corners of the Mouth fall deep into the Head, and the Eyes are placed juft 
over them; the Head is of a dirty brown Colour, brighter towards the Bill, darker 
in the hinder Part; under the-Bill is a pretty large white Spot an Inch broad, in the 
middle Part, but growing narrower on each Side toward the Neck; the whole Body 
is of a dirty Black, having a glofs of Blue, fomething lighter on the Breaft, and darker 
on the Back; the Wings are of a fine,. dark, fhining Green, though lighter in the Co- 
vert-feathers than in the Quills; a fingle white Feather appear d among the Covert- - 
feathers of the Wing; the Tail had two long Feathers more than double the Length 
of the other Feathers; the upper Side of a dark glofly Green, on the under Side 
dufky, fone of the thorter Feathers having white Tips; the Legs and Feet are Black, 
_ and made as in other King-jifbers. This Bird, though of a dull Colour, hath all over 
it, when expofed to the Sun, a fhining Luftre like a Mixture of Gold Threads 
with the Feathers, fuch as we fee in mott forts of Flumming Birds ; it is more remark-. 
bly bright on the Covert-feathers of the Wings than in any other Part. 
This Bird is in his Grace the Duke of Richmond’s Colle@ion; it was inclofed and 
pafted up in Glafs, fo that I could not handle it, nor could I certainly difcover whe- 
ther the two long Feathers in the Fail were the middle Feathers or the outer Feathers; 
though I think they are the middle Feathers. The Bird we call Merops in Europe, 
differs from the King-fi/her, only in that it hath the Bill a little bent downward, and 
the two middle Veathers of the Tail being longer than the reft; the Bird above de- 
{eribed, hath only one of thefe Marks of difference: It was brought from Surinam in 
South America, by the way of Holland. TY cannot find that this Bird has been deferibed 
or taken notice of by any Author. 
The 
Siiet p. 
yer ay 
