
BUFFHEADED GREEN BEE EATER
MEROPS BOEHMI.
M E R O P S BOEHMI.
BUFF-HEADED GEBEN BEE-EATEE
J f t n p QhSUvky) Beicheacv, O n . Centr.lbl.tt, April 1882; id. J. f. Or«. 1882, p
Mercp, iremri, Shellej, Troc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 303.
Tlgitroe notah'ûes.
Shelley, P. Z. S. 1882, pl. i r i . ; Beicheno», I. Mr Orn. 1882, tab. li. tg. 3.
HA„. Bun.; dWriot, E u t Cental Afrie» ( S * * - ) ; Eovum. river, E. Afrie. ( 7 W ) .
Ad. Psittacino-viridis, capitc, nucha ct gulfl rufcsccnti-cinnamoracis, hac dilution:: stria per nculum ducti nigri
et mintus aiureo margtoata: cauda et alis viridibus, ilia nigro apicaia, rcctricihui centralibus elongatu ct
attrtiuatis, apicibus nigris r rem i gibus intis riunamomeo marginatU et nigro apicati*: subalaribus dilute
cinnamomeis: rostro et pedibus nigris: iride rubra.
Adult (Rovuma river).—Crown, upper throat, and nape warm rufous huff, some of tho
feathers having the tips washed with greenish yellow; upper parts generally parrot-green ; wings
green, the primary quills terminated with dusky blackish, the secondaries rather broadly tipped
with black, except the inner ones, which with the scapulars and upper tail-coverts are slightly
washed with blue on the terminal portions; tail green, the two central rcctrices much elongated
and attenuated, the narrow portion being blackish; rest of the reetriccs broadly terminated witli
black, anil narrowly tipped with white on the outer ones, and rather more broadly with blue
towards the central pair; a broad black band passes through the eye, and is margined below with
turquoise-blue; underparts parrot-green, the abdomen and under tail-coverts washed with blue;
under wing-coverts and the basal portions of the inner margins of the quills pale rufescent buff;
under portion of the tail greyish brown, the black terminal hand showing very distinctly; hill
and legs black; iris red. Total length about 9 inches, culincn 13, wing 3 1 , tail 5 5, central
rectriees extending 2'6 beyond the lateral ones, tarsus 0*4
06*. The type specimen, which was kindly entrusted to me for examination by the late
Dr. Peters of Berlin, agrees with the above, but lacks the elongated central rcctrices, and
measures—eulmen 1-25, wing 3 3 , tail 3 0 ; the third and fourth quills are equal and are the
longest, the second is 0"2 shorter than the third, the first 0-95 shorter than the fourth, and the
sixth 0--1 shorter than the fifth.
i l lv distinct from, Merop* mridis, is, up
THIS interesting species, so nearly allied to, yet so thoroug i y ^ ^ B o e h m m
to the present time, known only from two specunens, one of wlneb