Adult male (Zambesi).—General colour above and below deep parrot-green, becoming golden
in tinge in some lights on the crown and napo ; chin and upper throat rich yellow, a broad line
through the eyes, extending far back, deep black; forehead, a broad band across the throat, and
the upper and under tail-coverts with a portion of the lower abdomen rich dark blue; quills
chestnut externally tinged with greenish, the primaries slightly tipped and the secondaries
broadly terminated with black; elongated inner secondaries coloured like the back, but tinged
with blue; central rcctrices deep sky-blue, remaining tail-feathers dull green washed with blue,
subterminally marked with blackish, most being tipped with white ; bill black; feet dull blackish
brown ; iris deep red. Total length about 7J- inches, cubnen 1*8, wing 3 0 , tail 4fl, tarsus 0-1;
tail deeply forked, the outer tail-feathers extending 1'5 beyond the central ones.
Ail nit female (Kabaconcri, 7th July).—Differs but slightly from the male in having the
throat of a paler yellow tinge, the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts of a paler blue and
tinged with green, the forehead scarcely tinged with blue, and the upper parts rather duller
in tinge.
Young (fide lieuglin).—Duller than the adult, throat dull bluish green, the blue band across
the throat wanting, the abdomen more of a bluish-green tinge.
Tnis Dec-eater, so easily distinguishable from any other species by its conspicuously forked tail,
inhabits Africa, on the eastern side from Abyssinia and the Upper Nile, and on the western side
from Senegal down to the Cape Colony. First recorded by Lichtenstcin (Cat. rer. nat. rariss.
p. 21) in 1703, it was obtained by Salt near Adowa in 1810, and by Stanley described in Salt's
Journey (I. c.) under the name of Merops fitrcatus. Nothing further appears to have been
recorded respecting it during an interval of fifty years, when Autinori met with it on the 'White
Kile in 1SG0; and Von lieuglin states (I. c.) that he first heard of its presence in the country of
the Schilluk Negroes, in 12°-1J-DN. lat., from the travellers Barthclomy and De Pruyssenacre, and
subsequently obtained both young and old birds in "Wan, Kongo, and on the Kosanga in April,
August, September, and October. Ilartmann says that it arrives early in February in the
Djurland (where it is known by the name of "Adid") and remains until early in April, when it
disappears altogether. When passing they are in full breeding-plumage, but soon lose it, as pairs
which he shot on the 19th April in the forests of the Dor were not so brilliantly coloured as those
he obtained in May. Tins species frequents overgrown places, and often hunts for food on the
edges of forests of high trees, especially near the negro huts, where insect life is abundant. It is
very fond of honey, and it is seldom that its l>eak is not smeared with i t Antinori never saw
flocks of more than from eight to ten individuals. Chapman (teste Layard) met with it on the
Zambesi, and Mr. Nicholson (P. Z. S. 1878, p. 355) received it through Mr. Buxton from Darra-
Salam, opposite Zanzibar.
On the west side of the continent it is recorded from Goreo by Prof. Barboza du Boeage;
there arc specimens in the Bremen Museum from Gambia; and Swainson records it from Senegal,
Verreaux from Casamanze, Ferguson from Sierra Leone, Pel from Ashantcc, Roux from Grand
Bassam, Gujon from St. Thome\ Du Chaillu from the Gaboon, Monteiro from Benguela, and
Professor Barboza du Bocage received it from Ilumbc through Anchieta, who states that he met
with it on the Cuncne river. Andersson states (B. of Damara Land, p. 63) that it was "the
commonest species of Bee-eater in Damara Land, and it is also found in Great Xamaqua Land
and in the Lake country: it chiefly visits Damara Land ditrhig tho wet season, but a few may bo
found throughout the year."
Mr. Ortlepp (teste Layard, Bus, 1809, p. 72) observed this Bee-eater in midwinter hawking
over the Orange river. Mr. Ayres, who obtained this bird in the Transvaal, says (Ibis, 1878,
p. 285):—" I shot a pair in my garden amongst the fruit-trees ; they appeared to sit stationary
on a bough, and every now and then to dart upon any insect flying past that took their fancy.
Their stomachs were well-filled with bluebottles. These are the first birds of the kind I have
seen in this part of the country."
The Swallow-tailed Bee-cater is said to resemble Merops aplaater in habits; hut Mr. Ortlepp
says that it does not fly so high when in search of food.
Von lieuglin, speaking of its habits as observed by him in North-east Africa, says (I. c.) :—
" I found this Bec-eater living during and after the rainy season isolated or in pairs in tho forest,
less frequently amongst bushes. It perches on the highest dry branches of the lofty trees, from
whence it takes flight after insects. In April only I saw small flocks of this species, probably
on passage; and in August I met with young and old birds together, but they soon separated.
According to Antinori it appears on the Djur in March, and remains till early in April (but
I shot it there in the end of April), and it then disappears altogether, being still in breedingpluinagc,
which it soon loses. It is extremely fond of honey, and its bill is frequently plastered
with it. It moults in April. Its note resembles that of its allies."
This Bec-eater, like its congeners, deposits its white eggs in a hole tunnelled in a bank. The
only account I find respecting its breeding-habits is that given by Mr. Andersson (B. of Damara
Land, p. G3), who says :—" I took a nest of this bird on the Omaruru river, on the 31st October.
I t was situated in a soft sandy bank, some three feet deep horizontally: tho entrance was not
above two fingers wide; but the hole was slightly enlarged where the nest was found. The nest,
which had no lining, contained three beautifully white eggs."
LevaiUant says (I. c.) that he met with the present species on the hanks of the Orange river,
and always in localities near water. They were met with by him in isolated pairs ; hut when the
young were fledged they remained with their parents, and roamed about in small flocks of seven
or eight individuals. They deposit six or seven eggs of a bluish-white colour, and incubation
lasts eighteen days. When leaving, all the famines in a district collect and depart together. The
cry of this Bee-eater, ho says, may he well expressed by the syllable wi repeated five or six times
in succession; and its name taica, which in the Namaqua language means gall, has been given
on account of its greenish-yellow colour, which closely resembles the colour of that substance.
Levaillant further says that this Bee-eater nests also in clefts of rocks and sometimes in
holes in trees, a statement that has not been confirmed by any other observer.
This species was undoubtedly first described by Lichtenstcin in 1793, as follows (Cat. rer. nat.
rariss p 21):—" Mcrops hirundineus, nobis. Merops pldlippuio, Linn. spec. 5. similis, cauda
forficata, jugulo ctcruleo. Cf. Buflbn, PI. Enl. n. 57. Probability hue usque ignotus mas
philippini."
The specimen figured and described is in my own collection.