COMMON ROLLER. 329 
the ground it is very clumsy, and hops with great effort, owing possibly 
to its extremely short legs and weak feet. It flies very quickly, but 
occasionally tumbles hike a Pigeon, whence its common name “ Roller.” 
The note of this bird is extremely harsh, something like the sound made 
by a ratchet-drill—a loud harsh wrack wrack. Although these birds were 
rather silent when I observed them in the valley of the Danube last year, 
the Roller is a noisy bird, especially in the early months of spring, when 
the important business of pairing is in progress. At this season angry 
males will often chase each other with great speed through the trees; 
and their aerial evolutions are probably for the purpose of displaying their 
briihant tints to advantage whilst wooing the females. 
The food of the Rolier is largely composed of insects and beetles, which 
it chiefly obtains on the ground amongst manure. It also searches 
eagerly for caterpillars and worms, and catches frogs, for which it will 
wait and watch from some convenient perch in those places which abound 
with these reptiles. There seems to be no evidence that it ever eats 
grain, or in fact any vegetable substances. Naumann asserts that caged 
birds, when given any vegetable matter to eat, die from its effects; but 
this requires further confirmation. A favourite mode of feeding adopted 
by the Roller is to sit on some clod of earth or other vantage-ground, and 
wait patiently until it sees a beetle or a locust moving, then to suddenly 
pounce down and capture the prize. 
The breeding-season of the Roller generally commences about the middle 
of May, though sometimes it appears that they do not begin laying until 
much later. This is certainly the case in some parts of Algeria, where 
possibly the long duration of suitable weather for the purpose renders 
them in no hurry to commence. The Roller generally chooses a hole 
in a rock or a tree in which to lay its eggs; but it often makes use 
of a hole in a bank or in a wall or building. Except on migration, 
it cannot be regarded as a gregarious bird; but Tristram says that he 
once met with a colony of Rollers in Palestine that were breeding in holes 
excavated by themselves in a bank. Where the eggs are laid in an old 
nest of a Woodpecker they are deposited upon the bare wood-dust at the 
bottom of the hole; but in other places it makes a slight structure of 
twigs, grass, and even feathers. The height of the nest from the ground, 
when in trees, varies considerably, no choice being apparently shown in 
the matter: so long as a suitable hole is found, the bird does not trouble 
itself at what height it is placed. Both birds assist in incubation; and 
during the time it is in progress the male often performs various evo- 
lutions in the air, as is the case with the Jay, the Snipe, and many other 
birds. The eggs of the Roller are from three or four to six in number, 
somewhat globular in form, and pure and glossy white in colour. 
‘They vary considerably in size, typical examples measuring from 1°55 to 
