BEE-EATER, Hemp, a geniis of birds of the order ineessoree and tribe ,fiesirostree; the type of a family, 772€1*OpidtP, nearly allied to that of the kingfishers. The birds of the B. family have rather long, slightly arched beaks, and long pointed wings: they are mostly of a green color; resemble swallows in flight; and, like them, prey on insects, but chiefly on bees, wasps, and other hymenopterous insects. Their skin is very thick. The species of the geniis nierops are numerous in Africa and Asia; none are known in America; two are European, one of which, the common B. (IL apiaster), is common lu the s. of Europe as a summer bird' of passage. It is it very rare bird in Britain. It is mentioned by Aristotle, under the name merops, as very destructive to bees. It seizes them on the wing. and also often watches near their hives, and at the mouths of wasps' nests. It breeds in holes, which it excavates in the banks of rivers. "When the young are partly fledged, but not yet fit to fly, they creep to the mouth of their holes, where they seem to enjoy the happy summer light and genial sunshine; but on the least alarm, they trundle stern foremost into their inner chambers, where they lie concealed until tranquillity again prevails." In the banks of the Don and Volga, the excavations made by the flocks of bee-eaters are so numerous, that the bank in many places resembles a honey-comb.
Livingstone describes the banks of the Leeba, in South Africa, as perforated in a similar manner. The Hottentots watch the flight of the bee-eaters, that they may be guided to the nests of bees.
a term now applied jocularly to certain functionaries belonging to the yeomen of the guard (q.v.), who, ever since the tiine of Henry VII., have formed part of the train of royalty, attending the sovereign at royal banquets and other state occasions. They have maintained the same costume, with a slight alteration made in 1858, for nearly four centuries; and this costume bas had much to do with their attractiveness to sight seers. The origin of the term is a case of what Dr. Latham calls "words of foreign simulating a vernacular origin." It was originally beaufilkr or buffetier (Fr.), one who attends the befJ'et or sideboard. Similar instances of false etymology. arising from resemblance in sound, are seen in (a hill near Oxford), from Chateau Vert; sparrow-grass, from asparagus; ancient, for ensign; dog-cheap, from the old English god kepe, Le., good-cheap, meaning a good bargain; etc.