WATTLED BEE-EATER, or MEROPS, Female.
The female Bea-eater is ftquter in the body and in the
legs, more brilliant in the plumage, the 'Bill more curxefi 5
and the tail cuneated and tipped with white;;; but fhorter
than in the male. .The feathers* on* the head are fmall, each
tipped with white, and fomew hat erected .it has n’otwattles,'
but on the*chin the feathers "are dark,;long, and'-hangldif-
fufely.
The .general: colour of the’ biidbi#ia blackifh chocolate,
lighter on the breaft,. and towards the'vent; darker4on the
abdomen and towards the tip of the fail..' TherTeathers^on
the neck and breaft have each a ftieak of white through the
middle. On tlie wing the outer long feathers are flightly
edged with whitiih, thofe of the middle region round-ended
and tipped Only; and on the upper part of the wing each-
feather bears a Breakd own the middle, fudderily dilating at
the tip.
The legs yellower than thofe of the. male; claws blackifh.
