9- LEAST NUTHATCH.
D e s c r i p t i o n .
io .
CAPE N.
D e s c r i p t io n .
P l a c e .
11.
LONG-BILLED
N.
D e s c r i p t io n *
Nuthatch, Var. C. Gen. Syn. ii. p, 651.
Left Nuthatch, Arft. Zool. ii. N® 172. '
T ^ E length o f this minute fpecies (for I find it to be diftinft)
is only three inches and a half. The bill blueiih ; the .bafe
o f the under mandible pale: the head moufe-colour: upper parts
o f the body, and two middle tail feathers, cinereous j the others
dufky black : the under parts o f the body dutky white.
I met with feveral o f the above at Mr. Humphries*s, o f Long-
Acre, who received them in a colleftion from North America.
Sitta caffra, Spur. Mu/. Carl/, pi. 4.
T E N G T H nine inches. Bill three quarters o f an inch, ftrait,
blueiih black : the forehead, hind part of the neck, and back,
are brown and yellow mixed: fides o f the head, neck, breaft, and
under parts, dufky yellow; the tips and margins o f the quills the
fame : the tail feathers are ten in number; above dulky black,
beneath olive, and the tips dulky yellow; the two middle feathers
longer than the others: legs b la ck : claws yellow.
Inhabits' the Cape of Good Hope.
T E N G T H eight inches. Bill above an inch in length, and
black j the bafe pale, almolt white : from the mouth to the
eye a black line, and thence along the fides o f the neck, which,
with the cheeks and forehead, are white: the crown, and whole o f
the upper parts o f the body, and wings, very light blue grey : tips
o f the prime quills brown : belly pale tawny : legs pale brown.
Inhabits Batavia. Defcribed from the drawings of Lady Impey.
G e n u s
P l a c e .
[ 119 3
Genus X X V I . B E E - E A T E R .
N° 2 i. Coromandel B. E.
Common Bee-eater, Gen. Syn. ii. p. 667. N* I. J _
Merops Apiafter, Faun. A rag. p. 73. *1- COMMON
B. E.
' J ’ H I S bird is nowhere more frequent than in the fouthern latitudes
o f Ruffia j chiefly about the Don, Wolga, and Jaick.
Some are met with about Lobolfchi, on the Irtifch, though few or
none farther in Sibiria. They are migratory, and firft feen about
Wironefch, and neighbouring parts, about the 24th o f April, coming
in vaft flocks 5. and make the nefi: in the clayey banks, which
they perforate obliquely, to the depth of half a fo o t; the entrance
o f the hole is large, but grows fmaller at the bottom j and the
hills are in many places fo full o f them, that they appear like a
honey-comb. The time o f their departure into other countries is
about the month of September, being obferved by thoufands in
their flight fouthward *. Thefe birds are obferved to come to
Gibraltar in March, in fmall flocks, not exceeding three or four,
and feldom reft more than a few hours: their note is a little
whiffle, not unlike that o f a Whifiling Duck. When the fun fhines
upon them in their flight, they are a pleafing objeft, as they appear
gilded -f.
• See Dec. Ruß i, p, 107.—Rujpa, vol. iv. p. 340, & c. 4 Col .Davies,
I
i
m
Indian: