i t from head to tail between the* points of j-fcs maüdibjes^till
by repeated compression* particularly, on the abdomen* .the
sting is either, squeezed,'out, or - ita .muscular, attachment's -só}
deranged that the stingdiself is harmless • I fey^mbnti&hed
that the Bee-éatèr. is* -common dunSg; »summer ^ vsi@ieece;.apd'
the islands of the^rchipelago, and nrföreie'is s§id.tQ)^4db-e
móst' plentiful. I t 'is in thi^lattp-nsland “jth a t.fh e ^ é u ^ ^
modd of- bird-eatching. described Jay BeU<$aijjjs%-is said, tpi^bp
frequently practised with »‘SupfeSgf.viz.—a ^picqda
oiTa bent pin or .fish-hook, .'and tiedi to. a dqtigjiyskender’ lint®*-
•The insect, when>£hrowndrom -the hand^ascendsvihfeoMékltir»
and. flies with rapidity .; the Meropsy eVer on th^^aich*
"Seeing the cicada, springs^ at -it, an d -rS ^ lloM ^ ^w J^ ^* i&
thus taken by the Oretah^boysi’^ ^
In the^adult male thg beak is nearly black; the iri(]es*i^.«T^
thè'lore andrear-covert&blask ’;;dqrehëadrts^èW with verditer
blue, which extends in a line-over the eKeKg^top of tl^e*heady
neck, back, and wing~co verts, 0:ch-reddish brown,-passing on
-the rump^to,saffron.yëllow ; primary and secondary quill-feathers
greenish blue, the shafts and ends black ^teitials-^.ei'p-
fsh blue, but'without dark "tips £ upper-Jailfêoyêrtp^bluish
green ; tail-feathers' duck green,,the middle pairjw’itbnarrow
ends extending beyond tfie others; chin—a n d & f i c h
saflrbn"yellow,-boundedigb^lpw”;by a bar" offbluish ’black;
breast, belly, and urider-tadl-coverts,’, verdigris grèpïiv -tinged
vdth blue; | under wing-coverts fawn tgpjour; under surface óf
wing and tad-feathers,^■rf^sh.br^.colii'brown ; legs, toestand
claws* small,-and reddish-brown. „
Whole length to the end of the elongated tail-feathers
elefen inches. From the carpal joint to the ends pf the wing*
five inches and three-quarters : the first feather very short,
the second the longest in the wing.
Females .are not setbright in colour as the. male^l the y ëfe
low on the throat is paler, and the green colour tinged with
red.
life. Halids bird is in the plumage of the second year, in
which tHe^MoVn^lour,-which^commbn-dis 'on the head, does
nfibidefticMf'^SLbw the» %<edll$ohX${^he back as in the older
birdV*and flies wliq'lc/.df ’ the back & greenish yellow where the
adkalt bird is saffron ydi||wv!'
bird in-my own coffleptipn, has the top
o f ,■ with* -al&ntfcll' patch of. reddish brown above
each eye ^».ant/red^ colour ©ft the -back ;> the yellow on the
thro'aWlbe’s nOffotcftminate* with a da#k: ba^Jy-aiid the tail-fea-
tlrt'SaretfE'l^. at- the eddl '
UHjde^fieathF^-e' representations of the' fo^t and breast-bone
©ffflie Bee-bater.