214 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



sloping, hooked abruptly ; the nostrils basal, oblique, linear, apert. 

 Gape very wide, with strong rictal bristles ; wings tolerably 

 lengthened, the 2nd quill longest, or the 2nd and 3rd sub-equal; tail 

 even or slightly rounded, short ; tarsus stout, shorter than the 

 middle toe ; outer toe nearly free to the base, much longer than 

 the inner toe ; hind-toe shorter than the inner toe ; tarsus and 

 toes strongly scutate. 



123. Coracias indica, Linn. 



PL Enl. 285.— Sykes, Cat. 119— Jekdon, Cat. 243— BLyth, 

 Cat. 224 — HoRsr., Cat. 856 — C. bengalensis, L. — Garrulus nsevius, 

 ViEiLLOT. — Subzak, i. e., greenish bird, Hind; also Nilkant, H., i. e., 

 blue-throat (not blue crow, as Irby translates it). — Tfls, Malir.j 

 Fdlu pitta^ Tel., i. e., milk bird. — Katta-kade, Tam..-^ Towe, 

 Mhari — The Ja7/ of Europeans in India. 



The Indian Roller. 



Descr . — Head above and nape dingy greenish-blue, the fore- 

 head tinged with rufous ; hind-neck, scapulars, interscapulars and 

 tertiaries, dull ashy-brown with a green gloss, and tinged with 

 vinous on the hind neck ; back blue ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 deep violet-blue ; lesser coverts and shoulders deep cobalt-blue ; 

 the other coverts dingy greenish-blue ; the winglet, greater coverts, 

 and quills, pale sky-blue, with a broad band of violet-blue on the 

 middle of the wings, occupying the terminal half of the secondaries, 

 and last two or three primaries ; the first seven primaries tipped 

 dark- blue ; tail, with the two centre feathers, dull green; the others 

 dark violet-blue, with a broad, pale blue band, occupying the greater 

 part of the terminal half of the tail, and widening exteriorly ; 

 beneath, chin, throat, and breast, light vinous-purple, the feathers 

 with pale fulvous shafts, passing into tawny Isabella, with light 

 streaks on the abdomen ; lower abdomen, flanks, vent, and under 

 tail-coverts pale blue ; wings beneath entirely pale blue, with a 

 broad violet band ; bill dusky brown ; legs dusky orange-yellow ; 

 irides dark red-brown ; eyelids yellow. 



Length 13^ inches ; extent 22 ; wing 7^ ; tail 5, about 2 inches 

 beyond end of wing; bill, at front, 1^ ; tarsus 1. 



