58 NATURE AND SPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA 



during this season of the year. Swallows and swifts 

 are pretty numerous, there being eight or nine 

 species in South Africa, though only one (the pretty 

 fawn-breasted martin, or Cape swallow) remains 

 throughout the year. 



The rollers — so called from their curious rocking 

 flight, which has been very well compared to the 

 motion of a boy's kite when falling to the ground — 

 are very brilliant and remarkable birds. They are 

 com.mon in the great park-like acacia forests of the 

 interior. The colonists invariably miscall them blue 

 jays, probably from their colouring. One species 

 (Coracias caudata) is sometimes known as Moseli- 

 katse's bird ; for the reason that the redoubtable 

 founder of the Matabele nation often adorned his 

 head with the long tail-feathers. The flashing 

 plumage of these birds exhibits an almost impossible 

 blending of wonderful violets, greens, pale and dark 

 blues, lilac, and rufous, and yet is indescribably 

 beautiful. These rollers are great hawkers of flying 

 insects, especially of butterflies. During the progress 

 of a grass fire they may be observed in large num- 

 bers, mingling with the smoke, and flashing hither 

 and thither in pursuit of prey driven out by the 

 flames. 



The bee-eaters are perhaps the most gem-like of 

 all South African birds. Even the most brilHant king- 

 fishers can scarcely vie with them, Always found 



