A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.
- George Montagu
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
37/440 page 9
![BEAN CKAKE. BEE-EATER. Pett}'chaps. Erora the habit we should be led to believe it might be the Spotted Flycatcher, which in some places is called by the name of Rafter, from its nesting on or under I’ofters in old buildings; whereas the Pettychaps in- variably repairs to woods and hedges for tlie piu’pose of nidification. [Mr. Yan-ell gives Beam-Bird as a provincial name of the Flycatcher. See Flycatcher, Spotted.] Bean Crake.—See Gallinule Crake. [Bean Goose.—See Goose, Bean.] . [Bearded Tit.—See Titmouse, Bearded.] Bee-Bird.—See Flycatcher, Spotted. Bee-eater.—.A genus of birds, the cha- racters of which are: Bill quadrangular, a little incurvated, sharp-pointed. Nostrils small, placed near the base. Tongue slen- der, in some species fringed at the end. Toes, three forward, one backward; the outer toe somewhat connected with the middle one. Bee-eater, Common. — [Yarrell, ii. 222; Heioitson, Ixiv. 254.] Merops apiaster, Lin. Syst. L p. 182, 1; Gniel. Syst. i. p. 400; Eaii Syn. p. 49, 3 ; Will. p. 110, 10 ; Ind. Orn. i. p. 269,1; Bris. iv. p. 532; Ib. 8vo, ii. p. 194. Le Guepier, Buf. vi. p. 480, t. 23. Bee-eater, Will. Angl. p. 147 ; Albin. ii. t. 44; Lath. Syn. ii. p. 667, 5 ; Ib. Sup. p. 119; Lin. Trans, iii. p. 333; Slum, Nat. Miscel. 1.162; Lath. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 148, No. 1, Br. Miscel. t. 69 ; M.d-F. —The Common Bee-eater is the only one, out of twenty-three known species, that has ever made its appearance in England. As we never had an opportunity of ex- amining more than one which was killed in this country, which varied but Httle from the description given by Latham in his ‘ General Synopsis,’ we shall take the liberty of borrowing it from that author. It measures from bill to tail ten inches. The bill is an inch and three-quarters in length, and black; the base of the upper mandible covered with dirty white fea- thers ; the irides are red; the forehead is of a blue-green colour, behind it green; the top of the head chesnut, tinged with green; hind-head and upper part of the neck chesnut, growing paler towai'ds the back; from the bill to the hind-head is a black stripe, passing through the eyes; the back and scapulars are very pale yellow, tinged with both chesnut and green ; rump and upper tail-coverts blue-green, with a yellow tinge ; the throat is yellow ; the under part of the body blue-green. growing paler towards the belly; the lesser wing-coverts are dull green; the quills, for the most part, sea-green pdth- out, and many of the inner ones rufous; the first very short, the second longest of all; the tail is wedge-shaped, and consists of twelve feathers, the shafts of which are brown above, and whitish beneath; the two middle feathers are sea-green with a shade of rufous; the rest the same, but margined with cinereous within ; the two middle feathers exceed the outer ones by three-quarters of an inch; the legs are of a reddish brown, claws reddish black. This bu-d does not appear to have been noticed in England till within these few years. In the third volume of the ‘ Lin- nean Transactions ’ an account is given of one of this species having been shot (for the first time in Great Britain) in July, 1794, near Mattishall in the county of Norfolk; which specimen was exhibited before the Linnean Society. A flight of about twenty was seen in June; and the same flight probably (much diminished in number) was seen passing over the same spot in October following. Since the above period we have been credibly informed more than one have been killed in Eng- land. The Merops apiaster is an inha- bitant of various parts of the European continent. They are not uncommon in the south of France and in Italy, as well as in the islands of the Mediterranean. It has also been seen in Germany, and in Swe- den, but no where so plentiful as in the southern parts of Russia, particulaily about the rivers Don and Wolga, in the banks of which they build thefr nests, per- forating holes to the depith of half a foot for that purpose. Are said to be gre- garious as well in the breeding season as in thefr migi’ations, excavating the clayey banks so near to each other as to appear like a honeycomb. In the autumn they migrate in lai-ge flocks to the more south- ern latitudes. These birds appear in small flocks at Gibraltar' in March, but are said to remain tliere only a few hours. The nest is composed of moss; the eggs ai-e six or seven in number, perfectiy white, about the size of those of a Stare. Its name has doubtless been taken from that insect, of which it is partially fond ; but it also feeds on most winged insects, which it takes on wing, like the Swallow. Supplement. — This species is com- mon in Egypt, where it is called Me- linoorghi (Bees’ Enemy) and is eaten for food. At the Cape of Good Hope it is called Gnat-snapper; and is a guide to the Hottentots by directing tliem to the honey, which the bees store in the clefts of the rocks. It probably breeds in some parts of Spain and Portugal, os we c](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0037.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
