File:The royal natural history (1893) (14784419052).jpg

Identifier: royalnaturalhist47lyde (find matches)
Title: The royal natural history
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915 Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Frostick, W. B., former owner. DSI Brooks, W. T., former owner. DSI
Subjects: Zoology Natural history
Publisher: London and New York : Frederick Warne & Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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e fullof excavations made by this bird—that is to say, in such places where the soilis light and the bank chops down perpendicularly. It is a simple matter to hitupon those which are inhabited, as the entrance to the abandoned ones will befound perfectly smooth, whereas the mouth of those which contain eggs or youngis ploughed up in two parallel furrows made by the old bird when passing in andout. The torovoz is exceedingly tame, and, when started from its nest, will, perchedupon a bough a few yards distant, watch the demolition of its habitation with adegree of attention and fancied security more easily imagined than described. BEE-EATERS. 53 The Bee-Eaters. Family Meeofid^. The bee-eaters constitute a well-marked group confined to the Old World,their place in America being taken by the motniots and jacamars. They have along and curved bill, with a well-marked ridge along the culnien ; the feet aresyndactylous, like those of the kingfishers, with the soles very broad, and the third
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f^ COMMON BKK-EATER (f Uat. size). and fourth toes united almost for their entire length, while the second is joined tothe third for its basal joint only. The tail-feathers are ten in numVjer: the palateis bridged (desmognathous); and the breast-bone has four notclies on its hindermargin : while there are also certain other osteological cliaracters distinguishingthe group, into the consideration of which it would be out of place to enter here.Of the five genera by which the family is repxesented, two (Mcropoijon andNycflorn Is), l)otli of wliich are Asiatic, are distinguished by a tuft of oveihangingplumes on the breast, which are wanting in the other three. Of the latter, theswallow-tailed bee-eaters (DicJirocercus) and square-tailed bee-eaters (Mditt(fphaga.s)are confined to Africa, while the true bee-eaters (Merops) inhabit all tlie four greatcontinents of the Old World. As a rule, the bee-eaters lay glossy white eggs in a 54 PICARIAN BIRDS. nest situate at the end of a long tunnel

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