Sharpe, which, though closely allied to Merops cyanophrys, and to extreme forms of Merops riridis,
and forming, as it were, a link between the two species, is a fairly recognizable and separable species.
During the progress of the present work several articles on the different species belonging to the
present family have been issued, amongst which I may cite that from the pen of Dr. Reichcnow
(J. f. O. 1885, p. 222), who, in pointing out slight differences remarked by him between examples
of MelillophagiiH gularis from northern and southern localities, says : — " I n the typieal form from
the Gold Coast, as also in specimens from Liberia, the forehead and a broad superciliary stripe are
pale cobalt like the rump. Individuals from Angola and the Congo, however, have the frontal
line blue-grccn and the superciliary stripe olive-green and but indistinctly defined. Individuals
from the Gaboon and Camcroons agree with the Angolan examples, except that the superciliarystripe
is more distinct and blue-green." This southern race he proposes to call Melittopliugns
gularis attstralis, and adds that he defers the question as to whether there is a third race of
Meliitophagus gularis, and for the present only proposes to separate the northern and southern
races, the northern limit of the range of the southern race being, he thinks, the Camcroons. In
the Xigcr district he believes that the typical race alone occurs.
I have not had an opportunity of examining specimens of this Bee-cater from Angola; but I
have now before me two examples from Gaboon which differ in no respect from some of the
specimens I have in my collection from Fantee, and I have also other specimens from the Gold
Coast which have the frontal stripe very narrow and tinged with green, and the superciliary line
but very indistinctly defined and dull in colour, and it therefore appears to me that in all probability
the Angolan specimens described by Dr. Beichcuow will prove to be hut younger examples
of true Melittophfigits ijularis.
Still more recently, indeed during the time I have been engaged on the final part of the
present work, my friend Prof. Wilhelm Blasius, in a most painstaking article on the avifauna of
Celebes (Madarasz, Zeitschr. fur gesammte Ornithol. iii. p. 239, 1885), proposes to give subspecific
rank to a form of Merops phil'tppinns inhabiting Celebes, stating his reasons in extenso, and
he proposes to call it Merops phiUppinus, var. celebenxis. This form be considers distinct on
account of its having the hack and head darker and more olivaceous than in typical M. phfflppinm,
the rufous colour on the throat not being sharply separated from the olivaceous brown of the
breast, hut gradually merging into it, and in having the blue coloration on the abdomen less
clearly defined. It appears, however, that both this form and typical M. phUippinus are found
together in India, Ceylon, British Burmah, &e., and that the two forms run into each other so much
that I cannot sec any just reason to separate them even subspecifically. Further than this, I have
before me a specimen from Celebes which does not at all agree with Prof. Blasius's description, and
is iindistinguishable from typical Merops phUippinus ; and the specimen I have figured, which was
obtained in Ceylon by Mr. Holdsworth, and received by me from him direct (hence there can be
no doubt as to the precise locality where it was obtained), agrees most closely with Prof. Blasius's
description of his var. celebensis. For these reasons I do not think that his bird is deserving even
of subspecific rank.
monographic sketch of the family, with descriptions of all the then known species of Bee-eaters,
accompanied by coloured illustrations ; but the illustrations are poor, and t he lei terpresB is merely
a compilation from the writings of previous authors and of but little scientific value. In the
earlier portion of the article he subdivides the Bee-eaters into three genera—Jferops, Meropogon,
and Nyctiornis ; but at p. 82 he gives a review of the Bee-eaters, in which he places them in four
sections, viz.:—i. Mclittotherina;, containing three genera, MotilIodicres (Merops nnbieua and
M.nubicoides), Tephrairops (Merops malimbicus), and MeUttophas (Meropsbicolor); ¡i. Apiantrimc,
containing four genera, Aerops (Merops albicollis), Merops (Merops apiaater and Meliitophagus
leachenaulti), Sphceopliohua {Meliitophagus ptmlhis, M. sonninti, and M. lafreanayei), and Melittophagus
(Dicrocercua hirundineua and Merops ornatus); iii. I'hlolhriiue, containing two genera,
Phlothrus (Merops virid'ts) and Blepharomerops (Merops peraicm and M.pHlippinm); and iv. NyctiorniiKe,
containing five genera, Mcropiscus (Meliitophagus gitlaris), Coccolarynx (Meliitophagus
bullocki and M. bullocko'ides), Meropogou (M. forsteni), Xgctwrnla (2f. amictus), and Jiucia (N.
athertoni). From the above it will he seen t h a t the generic divisions are somewhat erratic and
peculiar. At p. 75 he attempts to resuscitate, under the name of MéVOJU adansoni, Levaillant's
Guépier adanson, and figures it pi. ceccxlviii. 3213, copying Levaillant's plate. This supposed
species is, I may here mention, the Merops senegaleiisis oí Shaw {Gen. Zool.viu. pt. i. p.HJ3, LSI 2) and
the M. longicauda of Vieillot (Xouv. Diet, d'llist. Xat. xiv. p. 15, 1817). In 1854 Bonaparte (Consp.
Volucr. Anisod. p . R) proposed the generic title of Urica, his type being Melittopliagus (juinticolor;
but this lapses into a synonym of Meliitophagus. Cassin, ¡n 1857 (Journ. Ac. Sc. Phil. 1857, p. 37),
described and figured the still so little known Metittophagns mnelleri, under the name of Meropiscua
mnelleri; and in 1858 Yon Pelzcln (Sitzungsb. k. Ak. Wiss. AVien, xxxi. p. 320) described
Melittopliagus boleslarskii. In 1S59 Cabanis (Mus. Tleiu. ii. pp. 133-138) differentiated the
following five genera, viz. Sptheconax (type Melittopliagus bullocko'ides), Meliltias (type Meiittophagus
leachenaulti), Dicrocercus (type D. hirundineus), Coxmai-rops (type Mcroj>s órnalas), and
Fogoitoinerops (Meropogon forsteni), of which only one, Dicrocercus, will stand. At the same
timo he described, under the name of D/tlothrus cyauoplirys, the Blue-throated Green Bee-cater
(Merops oyanopkrys), which proves to be an excellent species.
The same year (1859), Cassin (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1859, p. I t ) described the very
distinct Merops breiceri, first calling it by that name, but later (op. cit. p. 34) referring to it the
generic title of Meropogon ; and the same year Heine (J. f. 0 . 1 8 5 9 , p. 134) proposed for it a new
generic title, viz. that of Bombylonax, whereas one year later Hartlaub (in "Wiegin. Archiv, xxvi.
p. 90) proposed another generic name, viz. that oí A relit me r opts, for the same species. This is the
last generic title that I find on record for any of the Bee-eaters. As will be seen from the
above notes, twenty-four generic names have been proposed for the Bee-eaters, of which I can only
adopt five, viz. Xycttoriits, Meropogon, Merops, Dicrocercus, and Meliitophagus. Cabanis in 1809
(Von der Dccken's Iteisen in Ost-Afr. fii. p. 31) described as new a species under the name of
Merops cyanoslictus ; but, so far as I can judge, it is a very slightly marked form of Meiittophagus
pusillus, and not worthy of specific rank.
From this date to 1882 I find no new genera proposed and no new species described; but in
that year a very distinct new species, Merops boehmi, was described by Dr. Reickenow (Orn.
Centralblatt, April 1882), and in the following year (Bovoil's Faune et Flore Comalis, Ois. p. 5,
1883) M. Oustalet described and figured Me/Utophagus revoil't, a very excellent and distinct species,
which will he found figured in the present work. Since then one more species of Bee-eater
(Merops mitscatensis) has been differentiated by my friend and late colleague Mr. B,. Uowdler