45 



their parents ; for. unlike many brilliant birds, the Indian 

 Roller has a common liver\- for all ages and both sexes. The 

 large dark eyes also do not change with age, and give the 

 yonng birds a singularly innocent appearance, which rather 

 belies their real disposition ; for they are greedy little crea- 

 tures and, when hungry, will fight violently over their food ; 

 although I have seen a youngster which I had filled up kindh- 

 present an extra piece to a brother fledgling. Young Rollers 

 are quite easy to rear if fed on raw meat and cockroaches, and 

 will grow up ver}- tame. But they are not interesting pets, for 

 in a small cage they beat and break their beautiful plumage, 

 and in an aviary sit still so much that they are not a very great 

 acquisition. Indeed, so sedentary are the Roller's ordinary 

 habits, and so inconspicuous are the pinky-drab and sea-green 

 of his plumage in repose, that our American winter visitors 

 have called him " the surprise bird," in allusion to the startling 

 display of colour he gives as he takes wing, looking like a 

 great butterfly in his lazy flapping flight. Like many of these 

 weak-looking fliers, however, he is really very active in the air, 

 as might have been seen in the case of the race-course habitu^ 

 above-mentioned when he was badgered by the local crows, 

 who seemed to cherish a prejudice against him. 



The Nilkant, as the Roller is called by the natives is, with 

 thcTU, a sacred bird, and once at least a throne has been gained 

 by tlie holy fowl — no doubt a trained specimen — alighting on 

 the successful candidate's head. And certainly, if beauty de- 

 serves the honour of worship, the roller has full right to it, 

 more especially as he is absolutely harmless ; for, when he 

 does fly, he is almost the most effective bird one could have in 

 a landscape. Fortunately, although I fear many have been 

 killed for their plumage, the roller is, over a large part of this 

 country, exceedingl)' common, and extends westward, through 

 Persia, to the Levant. Hereabouts he is on the confines of his 

 eastern range, for from about the longitude of Calcutta he 

 begins to intermarry with the darker Burmese species, called 

 Coracias affinis, our bird being Coracias indica. The Burmese 

 bird is rather larger than ours, and very much darker in the 

 general tone of its plumage, although, curiously enough, the 

 tail is lighter, not having the purple band at the tip which so 

 well sets off that of the Indian bird. The young also of the 

 Burmese Roller are different from their parents, being much 

 lighter and duller. This species must be found near Calcutta, 

 though I have never seen it even ou the telegraph wires by the 

 railway ; but I have seen some more or less pure Burmese 



