GREEN THROATED BEE EATER.
M E R O P S HUB1CUS
M E R O P S NUBICUS.
GEEEN-THROATED BEE-EATEE.
Le Guêpier à tête bleue, Month. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 506 (1770).
Le Guêpier de Nubie, D'Aubenton, Pl. Enl. no. 649.
Merops nubiens, Gmcl. Syst. Nat. i. p. 464 (1788) ; Licht. Vera. Doubl. p. 12 (1823) ; Smith, S. Afr. Quart. Joum.
2nd ser. partii.p.31D (1834); Gray,Gen.o£ B. Í. p. 86 (1846); Strickland, P.Z.S. 1850,p. 210; Bp. Consp!
Gen. Av. i. p. ICI (1850) ; Reichcnb. Merophue.p. 79 (1852) ; Licht. Nomcncl. Av. p. 06 (1854); Hull. J.f.O.
1855, p. 10 ; Schlegel, Mas. Pays-Bas, Merops, p. 7 (1863) ; Hcuglin, J. f. 0.1864, p. 331 ; Hartmann, S. f. O.
1866, p. 202 ; Bocage, Jom. Sc. Ac. Lisb. ii. p. 135 (1867) ; Hartlaub, Ora. Westafr. p. 41 (1867) ; Hcugl.
Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 199 (1869) ; Bknf. Gcol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 321 (1870) ; Finsch & Hartl. Viig. Ost-Afr"
p. 183 (1870) ; Bocage, J. f. O. 1876, p. 435 ; Fischer & Reichenb. J. f. O. 1878, p. 256 ; Fischer, J. f. O.
1879, p. 282; Bocage, Orn. d'Angola, p. 90 (1881); Forbes, Ibis, 1883, pp. 519, 521, 522, 523, 521-527;
Shelley, Ibis, 1883, p. 556.
Merops brasiliensis, Gmcl. Syst. Nat. i. p. 4G2 (1788).
Merops coeruleocephahts, Lath. lad. Orn. i. p. 274 (1790) ; Vieil!. Nouv. Diet. xiv. p. 21 (1817) ; Shaw, Gcn. Zool.
viii. pt. 1, p. 168 (1821) ; Stcph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiïi. pt. 2, p. 75 (1825) ; Swainson, B. of W. Afr. ii.
p. 87, pl. 9 (1837) ; RÜpp, Syst. Ucbcrs. p. 24 (1845) ; Vierthalcr, Naamannia, 1857, p. 111.
Merops superbus, Pcnnaut, Ind. Zool. suppl. p. 33 (1790) ; Shaw, Nat. Misc. pl. 78 ; Shaw, Gen. Zool. viii. pt. 1,
p. 161 (1811); Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, p. 73 (1825).
Melittotheres nubicus (Gmel.), Rcioheub. Meropiuas, p. 82 (1852); Cab. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 141 (1850); Gray,
IIand-1. of B. i. p. 100, no. 1213 (1869).
Figurai nulabiles.
D'Aubenton, Pl. Enl. no. 649 ; Swainson, B. of W. Afr. ii. pl. 9 ; Shaw, Nat. Misc. pl. 78 ; Reichcnbach, Mcropina:,
pl. ccccli. figs. 3251, 3255.
HAB. Northern portion of Tropical Africa.
Ad. capite et collo saturate viridi-e¡crulcis : gulà infrà nigricanti marginatâ: stria per oculos ductit et regione
paroticà liions ; dorso et enrpore siiLùis rubm-saiigsiiiu is, hoc vi \ ¡dio re • dis et cauda nil iris sed snnlidini'ilnis,
remigibus versus apieem virîdi lavatïs et uigro apieutis : uropysrio, supraeaudalihus et subeaiulalibus cyaneis :
rectricilnis centralibus valdè clongatis : rostro nigro : pedibna fusco nigricañtibus : iride rubra.
Juv. adulto similis, sed sordidior, reetrieiims eentr.il ilius nee clongatís.
Adult (Panganik, E. Africa).—Head and throat deep bluish green, on the throat the blue
becomes blackish along the lower margin ; a band through the eye and ear-coverts black ; hack
and undcrparts generally rich deep rose-red, or pale carmine with a tinge of vermilion ; wings dull
red, the remiges washed with green towards the tip and tipped with black ; rump and upper and
under tail-coverts rich blue ; tail dull red, the central rectrices elongated and attenuated towards