THE BLUE JAY 117 



and the kingfishers and the rollers proper came into 

 being. It is necessary to say that the roller's diet is by 

 no means confined to insects. The bird is not only 

 able to swallow a toad, but to digest the unsavoury 

 amphibian. A correspondent informs me that on two 

 occasions he saw a roller devour a small snake. I have 

 watched both kingfishers and rollers for hours together, 

 and have never observed either species drinking. The 

 former bird, when diving for his quarry, probably con- 

 sumes as much liquid as he requires ; but how does 

 the roller obtain the wherewithal to wet his whistle? 

 That organ must surely require wetting sometimes, 

 especially in Northern India before the monsoon has 

 burst. Perhaps he drinks on the sly. 



This abstemiousness is not peculiar to the Indian 

 roller. The European bird, writes Mr. W. J. Gordon, 

 "would seem to be the total abstainer of the bird 

 world, for we are gravely assured that 'it has never 

 been known to drink.' " 



Although we must admit that the blue jay sets a 

 noble example to the over-ardent votaries of Bacchus, 

 we cannot help wishing, with Mr. Gordon, that the bird 

 would drink a little, if only for the benefit of his voice, 

 which is very dry and thirsty sounding. 



The Indian roller is sacred to Vishnu. It must be 

 a very fine thing to be a sacred fowl, but I imagine 

 that the blue jay would sell for a mere song its garment 

 of sanctity. The bird must strongly object to being 

 made captive, even though it be caught only to be 

 liberated at the Durga Puja. 



Four species of roller are found in India. One of these 



