COEACIAS. 



103 



This family is found in tropical and temperate regions of the 

 Old World. Two genera are Indian. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. Bill compressed ; breadth at gape about half 



length of culmeu Coracias, p. 103. 



h. Bill short, broad ; breadth at gape about equal 



to culmen Eurystomus, p. 107. 



Genus COEACIAS, Linn., 1766. 



Bill rather long, compressed, culmen slightly curved, nostrils 

 elongate ; gape wide, with strong rictal bristles. 



To this genus belong three Indian and Burmese birds, of which 

 one is migratory and only occurs in North-western India. Species 

 are found throughout Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and in 

 Celebes. 



Key to the Sjpecies. 



a. Lower parts only blue in part. 



a'. Under wing-coverts, abdomen, and lower tail- 

 coverts pale blue C. indica, p. 103. 



b'. Under wing-coverts deep blue, pale blue con- 

 fined to vent and lower tail-coverts C nffinis, p. 105. 



b. Lower parts pale blue throughout ('. <jurnda, p. 106. 



Fig;. 29. — Head of C. indica. 



1022. Coracias indica. The Indian Roller. 



Coracias indica, Liim. Stjst. Nat. i, p. 159 (1766) ; Blytk, Cat. p. 51 ; 

 Horsf. Sr M. Cat. ii, p. 571 ; Jerdon, B. 1. i, p. 214 ; Stol. J.A.S. B. 

 xxxvii, pt. 2, p. 19; Brooks, J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, p. 73; Hume, 

 S. F. i, p. 167; id. Cat. no. 123; Blanf. East. Pers. ii, p. 126 ; 

 Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 281 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 237 ; Murray, 

 Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 109 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 97 ; id. Jour. 

 Bomb. N. H. Soc. iv, p. 9 ; Davidson, Jour. Bomb. N. H. Soc. i, 

 p. 176; Oates in Hume's N. Sf E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 53 ; Sharpe, 

 P. Z. S. 1890, p. 517 ; id. Cat. B. M. xvii, p. 10. 



Nilkant, Sahzak, H. ; Tds, Mahr. ; Pain pitta, Tel. ; Kattu kadei, 

 Pal-hvruvi, Tarn. ; Panang-karda, Tam. Ceylon ; Doong-koivlmoa, Cing. ; 

 Blue Jay or Jay of Europeans in India. 



