102 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
contained three beautifully white eggs.’’? The species has likewise 
occurred to Senor Anchieta on the Cunene River, and to Mr. Mon- 
teiro in Benguela. 
The strongly forked tail renders this Bee-eater an unmistakeable 
bird, no other South African species also having the tail-feathers 
tipped with white: iris, carmine-red: bill, black: tarsi and feet brownish. 
Total length, 8 inches; culmen, 1°3; wing, 3°9 ; tail, 4°2; tarsus, 0-4. 
The young bird differs in being all green, the yellow throat and 
blue gorget of the adult being absent, but it has the tail forked as 
in the full-grown bird. 
Fig. Swainson, B. W. Afr. pl. 10. 
Fam. CORACIADZ. 
98. CoRACIAS GARRULA. European Roller. 
Coracias abyssinica, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 60. 
This Roller has not as yet been noticed in any numbers within the 
Cape Colony, and is doubtless only a winter visitant. We believe it 
to be the species noticed under the heading of C. abyssinica in the 
first edition, for it has been pointed out that CO. garrula is exactly 
similar to that species without the elongated tail-feathers, (Cf. Sharpe, 
Ibis, 1871, p. 201). We consider that C. abyssinica is confined to 
North-Eastern Africa and Western Africa and has not yet appeared 
in South Africa at all. 
The European Roller has been received from one or two places 
along the northern border of the colony, also from the neighbourhood 
of Spring-bok fountain in Namaqua Land. Mr. Rickard tells us that — 
he once saw a Roller, apparently of this species, near East London. 
It has been killed in Natal by Mr. Ayres, Mr. Mohr and other 
collectors, and Captain Shelley recently obtained a specimen from the 
neighbourhood of Pinetown, but it was considered to be by no 
means common in that locality. Mr, Ayres has lately forwarded a ' 
specimen from the Transvaal, which, he says, was killed amongst 7 
some bushes about three miles from Potebefstroom in the month of 
December. Mr. Andersson writes :—“ This species is common in 
Ondonga, but is less so in Damara Land proper, than either CO. nevia 
or C. caudata. As far as I recollect, it is only seen during the 
rainy season.” 
Upper surface sandy brown; head and neck blue; forehead and 
