THE BEE-EATER 135 
one which was shot close to my garden, on the twentieth of 
September, 1852. The winter home of the Roller is Africa, and 
it is said to be particularly abundant in Algeria. About the 
middle of April it crosses the Mediterranean, and seems to prefer 
the north of Europe to the south as a summer residence, being more 
abundant in Germany and the south of Russia than in France, 
though many proceed no further than Sicily and Greece. Its food 
consists mainly of caterpillars and other insects. The name Roller, 
being derived directly from the French Rollier, should be pronounced 
so as to rhyme with ‘ dollar’ 
FAMILY MEROPID 
THE BEE-EATER 
MEROPS APIASTER 
Forehead white, passing into bluish green ; upper plumage chestnut; throat 
golden yellow, bounded by a black line; wings variegated with blue, 
brown, and green; tail greenish blue. Length eleven inches. Eggs 
glossy white. 
Tuis bird, which in brilliancy of plumage vies with the Humming- 
birds, possesses little claim to be ranked among soberly clad British 
birds. Stray instances are indeed met with from time to time, but 
at distant intervals. In the islands of the Mediterranean, and in 
the southern countries of Europe, they are common summer visitors, 
and in Asia Minor and the south of Russia they are yet more frequent. 
They are gregarious in habits, having been observed, both in Europe, 
their summer, and in Africa, their winter residence, to perch together 
on the branches of trees in small flocks. They also build their 
nests neareach other. These are excavations in the banks of rivers, 
variously stated to be extended to the depth of from six inches to 
as many feet. Their flight is graceful and light, resembling that 
of the Swallows. Their food consists of winged insects, especially 
bees and wasps, which they not only catch when they are 
wandering at large through the air, but watch for near their nests. 
The inhabitants of Candia and Cyprus are said to catch them by 
the help of a light silk line, to which is attached by a fish-hook a 
wild bee. The latter in its endeavour to escape soars into the air, 
and the Bee-eater seizing it becomes the prey of the aérial fisherman. 
