GARRULOUS ROLLER. 541 



Ij truncate. The tarsus is shorter than the middle toe, rather 

 stout, with seven very broad scutella, and reticulated behind ; 

 the hind toe with six, the second with nine, the third with 

 twelve, the fourth with twelve scutella, the anterior toes free 

 to the base, the fourth considerably longer than the second. 

 The claws are of moderate length, much compressed, laterally 

 grooved, and acute. The nostrils linear, oblique, four-twelfths 

 of an inch long ; the eyes of moderate size ; the aperture of the 

 ear roundish, a quarter of an inch in diameter. 



The plumage is soft and blended ; the feathers generally 

 ovate, but on the head, fore-neck, and part of the breast oblongo- 

 lanceolate. The wings are of moderate length, very broad, the 

 secondary quills being of great length ; the first quill half an 

 inch shorter than the second, which is scarcely exceeded by the 

 third ; the outer secondaries obliquely emarginate. The tail is 

 even, but with the outer feather on each side about a quarter 

 of an inch longer. 



The bill is brownish-black, darker toward the end ; the iris 

 reddish-brown ; the feet light brown, the claws brownish black. 

 The head, neck, breast, and lower parts generally, are of a 

 light bluish-green, approaching to verditer ; the neck and breast 

 with paler streaks ; the back, scapulars, and inner secondaries, 

 yellowish-brown ; the anterior smaller wing-coverts and rump 

 azure blue, the latter of a deeper tint ; the other wing-coverts 

 light greenish-blue. The quills are verditer blue at the base, 

 deep bluish-black in the rest of their extent ; the tail-feathers 

 are greenish-blue, the two middle much darker, the outer 

 tipped with black. 



Length to end of tail 13 inches; bill along the ridge 1/,, 

 along the edge of lower mandible 1 ^% ; wing from flexure 7j\ ; 

 tail 5 ; tarsus 1 ; hind toe ^%, its claw i% ; second toe -/|, its 

 claw f^g ; third toe 1, its claw {% ; fourth toe {.!, its claw ^^. 



Female. — The female resembles the male. 



Habits. — The Roller is said to occur in Africa, various re- 

 gions of Asia, the European countries bordering on the Medi- 

 terranean, the southern provinces of Russia, some parts of 



