THE ROLLERS. 133 



ill a moderate-sized cage and giving them live insect^^ at 

 first ; when the birds are taking meat regularly it is as 

 well to mix it up with some satoo or boiled rice to render 

 it less heating. The Roller does well as an aviary bird 

 and is quiet with others, unless they are small enough 

 to swallow, when he is by no means to be trusted — and 

 his swallowing powers are much greater than would 

 api)ear at first sight. Rollers are very seldom to be 

 had in England, so that a good healthy specimen is always 

 worth taking home. This is another of the birds which 

 ought to be spread by acclimatization, as it is a charming 

 landscape ornament and very useful in destroying large 

 insects. 



The Burmese Roller {Coracias affinis). This species 

 is included under the same name of " Blue-Jay " as the 

 last, but it is distinct from the Indian bird, though 

 the difierence is not very great, consisting in slightly 

 larger size and decidedly darker colour. The body-colour 

 of the Burmese bird is darker brown than that of its 

 Ijidian relation, thus showing up the sea-gTeen cap better ; 

 but there is no purple band at the tip of the tail, which is 

 all light blue except at the root ; the most strikmg differ- 

 ence, however, is in the lining of the wings, which is pale 

 blue in the Indian Roller, and purple in the present bird. 



The young hi this species are noticeably different from 

 their parents, being much lighter hi colour ; the absence 

 of the purple tip to the tail, however, is always charac- 

 teristic. 



This Roller, which has the same habits as the last, is 

 the common one of Burma, and extends east to Siam 



