52 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



In North-east Africa tlie Eoller seems to be merely a bird of 

 passage, and no instance of its l^reeding there is known. The range 

 of this species is apparently a very wide one, extending throughout 

 nearly the whole of the European and African Continents, as well as 

 throughout a considerable part of Asia. It has been known to breed 

 as far north as Sweden and Northern Eussia, while its winter quarters 

 are in South Africa, extending down to the Cape. 



Towards the end of April the passage of Eollers in Tunisia may 

 be said to be at its height, and when on the march with my caravan 

 along a road lined by telegraph wires, we constantly had small parties 

 of these birds accompanying us for some distance, and perching on 

 the wires immediately in front of us. 



The Eoller's English name is not inappropriate, as its flight is 

 decidedly " roHing," and at times not unlike that of the Tumbler- 

 pigeon. The bird is of a restless nature, and very wary. Its food 

 consists chiefly of coleoptera and other insects. Its note or cry is 

 harsh and deep, and is uttered by the bird chiefly when on the wing. 



In Tunisia the Eoller generally selects as a site for its nest a hole 

 in some steep river bank or cliff, in which it deposits from four to 

 six glossy white eggs, with strongly developed pores. The average 

 measurements of the eggs are about 34 x 27 mm. The nest-hole 

 sometimes extends so far into the bank, that the eggs can only be 

 reached by much digging. In wooded countries holes in trees are 

 often chosen as nesting sites. 



Family MEEOPID^. 



MEROPS APIASTER, Linnaeus. 



BEE-EATER. 



Merops apiaster, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 182 (1766); Sharpe, Cat. Birds 

 Brit. Mns. xvii, p. 63; Malherbe, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 17 (1846) 

 Loche, Exx>l. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 90 (1867) ; Kocnig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 

 168; id. J. f. 0. 1892,-p. 368; Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, p. 95; Erlanger, 

 J. f. 0. 1900, p. 3. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Gafsa, South Tunisia. 



Forehead whitish, becouihig greenish-blue on the sides and higher up 



