ROCKIER—ROLLER © 793 
acting on the hint first given by Strickland, suggested that the 
story of the Ruc, though it may have originated much further to 
the eastward, became localized in Madagascar through some 
rumour of A/pyornis and its stupendous eggs, one of which (now in 
the British Museum, and measuring more than 13 inches by 9°5) 
he figured of the natural size ;! but there seems no doubt that the 
largest species of Apyornis as yet found by no means equalled in 
bulk or height the larger forms of Dinornithes. Herr R. Burck- 
hardt (Palzontol. Abhandl. vi. Heft 2, 1893) has referred some 
remains obtained by the late Dr. Hildebrandt to a fifth species 
4. hildebrandti. 
ROCKIER, the name of a Pigeon, presumably Columba livia, 
commonly called the Rock-DovE; but (teste Gilb. White, N. Z. 
Selborne, Lett. xliv. to Pennant) applied to the Stock-Dove, 
C. enas, so long confounded with it (p. 1638). 
RODE-GOOSE (Germ. Rotgans), a local name given by fowlers 
to the BRANT-GOOSE (pp. 57, 375). 
ROERDOMP, the Dutch name of the BiTTERN (p. 40), commonly 
used by colonists in South Africa. 
ROLLER, a very beautiful bird, so called from its way of 
occasionally rolling or turning over in its flight,? somewhat after 
the fashion of a Tumbler-Pigeon. It is the Coracias garrulus of 
ornithology, and is widely though not very numerously spread over 
Europe and Western Asia in summer, breeding so far to the north- 
ward as the middle of Sweden, but retiring to winter in Africa. It 
occurs almost every year in some part or other of the British 
Islands, from Cornwall to the Shetlands, while it has visited Ireland 
several times and is even recorded from St. Kilda. But it is only 
as a wanderer that it comes hither, since there is no evidence of its 
having ever attempted to breed in Great Britain; and indeed its 
conspicuous appearance—for it is nearly as big as a Daw, and very 
brightly coloured—would forbid its being ever allowed to escape 
the gun of the always-ready murderers of stray birds. Except the 
back, scapulars and inner cubitals, which are bright reddish-brown, 
the plumage of both sexes is almost entirely blue—of various shades, 
1 One possessed by the late Mr. Rowley was said to measure 12°25 by 9°75 
inches. He referred it to a distinct species which he named 4. grandidieri. 
Dr. von Nathusius has described (Zettschr. wissensch. Zool. 1871, pp. 330-834, pl. 
xxy.) the microscopical examination of the ege-shell in Apyornis. 
2 Gesner in 1555 said that the bird was thus called, and for this reason, near 
Strasburg, but the name seems not to be generally used in Germany, where the 
bird is commonly called Rake, apparently from its harsh note. The French have 
kept the name Rollier. It is a curious fact that the Roller, notwithstanding its 
occurrence in the Levant and conspicuous appearance, cannot be identified with 
any species mentioned by Aristotle. 
