THE Grey-and-Red Bee-eater inhabits tlio western portion of Africa only, and, though not an
uncommon bird in collections, but little is known respecting it; all the meagre details that
can be gleaned relate merely to its occurrence. First described by Baudin under the name of
3ferop§ tricolor (a name which properly belongs to an Asiatic species), it has, though so different
in appearance, been confused with that species by many naturalists ; the first author who gave
it an appropriate name was Shaw, who also gave a very good illustration of it in his ' Naturalist's
Miscellany ' (I. c). It appears to range from the Gold Coast down to Angola. Usshcr writes
(Ibis, 187-4, p. 48) that he received two examples from Aubinn, but he does not consider it a
common bird in Fantee. Dr. Bcichenow (J. f. 0 . 1875, p. 10) says that he saw several large
llocks on the Gold Coast, at the foot of the mountains of Aguapim ; they hunted during the
day on a steppe, settling on high trees, and in the evening they returned to the mountains for
the night. Bcichenow also records it from Loanda, Weiss from BImina, DuChaillu from the
Gaboon, and Berrin obtained it in Angola. In habits this Bee-eater does not differ from its
allies, and like them it doubtless nests in holes in banks and deposits white eggs ; but I find
nothing whatever on record respecting its breeding-habits.
The specimens figured and those described are in my own collection.
I n the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :—
E Mua. II. E. Dresser.
a. West Africa, 1863 (DuChai/lu). b. Gaboon (DuChaillu). c^ad. Abouri, 30th February, 1872 (T. E. Buckley).
E Mus. Twceddale.
a, ad. West Africa.
E Mus. Brit.
a. West Africa (Stevens), b, c. Accra (Ussher). d. Cape Coast (Col. Strac/ian). e. Gaboon (Verreaux).
E Mus. Paris.
a. Angola (Perriu), type of Le Gutpier gris-rose oF Lcvaillant and of Merops bicolor of Daudin and Vieillot.