BLUE NECKED BEE EATER
N Y C T I O R M S ATHERTGNI.
N Y C T I O R N I S A T H E R T O N I.
BLUE-NECKED BEE-EATEB.
Merops athertoni, Jardinc & Sclby, lit. Orn. ii. pi. 58 (1829) ; Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Merops, p. 12 (1863).
Bucia nipalensis, Hodgs. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. v. p. 361 (1836) ; Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. s. p. 922 (1842).
Nyctiornis curuleus, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 333 (1837).
Nyctiornis amherstiana, Itoylc, 111. Hixnal. Bot. i. p. Ixxvii (1839).
Merops cyaiiogu/aris, Jerdon, Madr. Journ. si. p. 229 (1840).
Alcemeraps paleazurtms, Less, Eov. Zool. 1810, p. 262.
Bucia athertoni, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. x. p. 922 (18-11).
Nyctiornis athertoni (Jard. & Selby), M'Clelland, P. Z. S. 1839, p. 155; Gray, Gcu. of B. i. p. 87 (1849); Bp.
Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 161 (1850); Gould, B. of Asia, vol. iii. pi. (1850) ; Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 66 (1854);
Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E. Ind. Co. Mus. i. p. 89 (1851) ; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. ü. p. 132 (1859);
Jerdon, B. of India, i. p. 211 (1862); Gray, Cat. B. Nepal, p. 58 (1803); Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 3 4 5 ; Bcavan,
Ibis, 1869, p. 4 0 7 ; Blanf. Ibis, 1870, p. 4 6 5 ; Hume, Nests & Eggs of Ind. B. p. 103 (1873); Fairbank,
Stray Feathers, v. p. 394 (1877); Hume & Davison, Str. Feath. vi. p. 68 (1878) ; Anderson, Zool. Espcd.
Yunnan, i. p, 583 (1878); Tiraut, Bull. C. A. Cocli. Ch. ser. 3 , vol. i. p. 98 (1879) ; Bingham, Str. Feath.
ix. p. 153 (1880) ; Butler, Str. Feath. i s . p. 382 (1880) ; Oatcs, B. of Brit. Burm. ii. p. 63 (1883).
NapophUa athertoni (Jard. & Sclby), Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. si. p. 101 (1842).
Napop/iila ua'rophia, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 82 (1844).
Alcemerops athertoni (Jard. & Sclby), Blyth, Cat. B. in Mus. As. Soc. p. 52 (1849).
Bucia athertoni (Jard. & Selby), Reiehenb. Handb. Meropinse, p. 8 3 (1852) ; Gray, Hand-1. of B. i. p. 98, no. 1196
(1869).
Merops assamensis, M'Clell. fide Gray, Gen. of B. i. p. 87 (1849).
Figuraj notabiles.
Jardine & Sclby, /. c.; Gould, B. of Asia, vol. iii. p ) . ; Eeichenbach, /, c.
IIAB. India, ranging eastward into Burm ah.
Ad. capita, collo et corpore supra cum alis eaudaqiie psittacino-viridibus : fronte pallide turciuo-crcrulca ct pilco
eodem colore lavato: gnhe ft jngnli plumis eloiigalis, liirciuo-cicnilcis, iiuis saturaliiis nerulcis : pre tore iino
et corpore stibtüs reliquo ochraceo-ccrvmis, abdotiiinc saturate viiidi striato ; alis snhtiis aurnntiaco-ccrvinia :
rostro saturate brunneo : mandibula ad basin pallida sehistaceft : pedibus pallide viridibus : iridc aurantiacorubrä
seu aurantiaco-fusca.
Juv. saturatior : eapite, gulä et jugulo viridibus nee cparulcis.
Adult male (Tenasserim, 10th June).—Head, neck, and upper parts generally rich parrotgreen
; forehead pale turquoise-blue, and the crown marked with the same colour; a broad line