THE ROLLERS. 73 



India, but the bulk of the individuals bred in Asia probably 

 turn west and migrate to Africa in a south-westerly direction, 

 as do many other Asiatic birds. 



Habits. — The Roller is strictly an arboreal species, and is not 

 at all at home on the earth, where, doubtless, its flat-soled 

 feet are not adapted for walking. Nevertheless, it seeks for 

 most of its food on the ground, but in a Picarian manner, 

 that is to say, by darting on its prey from a perch, like a 

 Bee-Eater or a Kingfisher. Mr. Seebohm observes : — " A 

 favourite mode of feeding adopted by the Roller is to sit on 

 some clod of earth or other vantage-ground and wait patiently 

 until it sees a beetle or a locust moving, then to suddenly 

 pounce down and capture the prize." It is also a frequenter 

 of reed-beds, on which it is said to perch when on the look 

 out for frogs. 



The name of Roller is applied to this bird on account of 

 its curious habit of " rolling " or tumbling in the air, like a 

 Tumbler-Pigeon. Sometimes a whole flock of Rollers will 

 indulge in this strange evolution, and Canon Tristram relates 

 how he saw large flocks of Rollers on migration near Mount 

 Tabor in Palestine, on the 12th of April. One of these 

 flocks congregated on some trees near a fountain, and made 

 as much noise as a colony of Rooks. " After a volley of 

 discordant screams, one or two birds were observed to start 

 from their perch and commence a series of gambols and 

 somersaults in the air ; then in a moment or two the whole 

 flock followed their example, this strange performance being 

 repeated many times in succession." 



The same author writes of this species : — " Brilliant and 

 conspicuous, both in plumage, note, and manners, the Rollers 

 attract attention everywhere, and are found in every kind of 

 country alike — woodland, plain, desert, ravines, ruins, — always 

 perching where they can see and be seen." They are by no 

 means entirely forest-loving birds, and are found in well- 

 timbered country as well as in the open plains, where there 

 are plenty of trees, on which the Rollers love to perch on some 

 conspicuous branch, where their bright colour renders them 

 visible for a long distance off. 



The note of the Roller is very harsh, and is rendered by 



