COMMON ROLLER. 327 
CORACIAS GARRULA. 
COMMON ROLLER. 
(PLate 18.) 
Galgulus galgulus, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 64, pl. v. fig. 2 (1760). 
Coracias garrula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 159 (1766); et auctorum plurimorum— 
Latham, Temminck, Naumann, Bonaparte, Newton, Dresser, &c. 
Galgulus garrulus (Linn.), Vieill. Tabl. Enc. Méth, p. 866 (1823). 
Coracias loquax, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 68 (1854), 
Coracias bengalensis, Kewl. Ned. Tijdschr. iii, p. 880 (1866). 
Although this conspicuous bird occurs almost every year in our islands, 
it can only be regarded as an accident straggler to them chiefly on 
autumn migration. The earliest known occurrence of this species in the 
British Islands is that of an example obtained by Sir Thomas Browne 
near Crostwick, in Norfolk,in May 1644. More than a hundred examples 
have since been obtained, principally on the east and south coasts of Eng- 
land and Scotland, but including nine examples from the Orkney Islands, 
two from the Shetland Islands, one from St. Kilda, and half a dozen from 
Ireland. A bird so brilliant in its plumage as the Roller has hardly a 
chance of breeding in our islands, even if it was disposed to do so. The 
examples obtaied in this country are probably migrants from South 
Sweden to Africa that have wandered from their usual course. 
The Roller breeds in most parts of Europe south of lat. 60°, but is only 
of accidental occurrence in the north of France, Belgium, Holland, and the 
British Islands ; it has also occurred accidentally on the Faroes and in the 
extreme north of Norway. It is a summer visitor to Algeria, but is only 
known during winter in Egypt. To Palestine and Asia Minor, Persia, 
Turkestan, Afghanistan, Cashmere, and the Punjaub it is a summer 
visitor. It breeds in South-west Siberia as far north as Omsk and as 
far east as the Altai Mountains. It winters in Arabia, the valley of the 
Upper Nile, and throughout South Africa *. , 
The nearest ally of the Common Roller is the Abyssinian Roller 
(C. abyssinica), which will be referred to at the close of this article. It has 
also a somewhat near ally in Asia, C. indica, which differs principally in 
having the throat and breast chestnut instead of blue, and the back green 
* The Roller, like the Bee-eater, appears to have extended its range eastwards within a 
comparatively recent period. Both these birds breed as far east as Cashmere; but neither 
of them are known to winter, as would naturally be expected, in India. This fact can 
only be accounted for on the theory that their habit of migrating in autumn to South 
Africa was formed before the breeding-range had been extended and is still retained. 
