134 A HANDBOOK OF EUROPEAN BIRDS. 
former on crown and back and of latter on wings and neck ; 
under parts pure pearly white, qgssed on chest by an irregular 
broad dand of black and iA al narrower one across the 
breast ; bill, legs and feet black ; irides dark brown. Length 
11°5 inches ; culmen 2°4; wing 5°75; tail 3°25 ; tarsus 0°45. 
Adult Female: Similar, but has on/y one black band 
across chest, which is not continuous, but interrupted in the 
middle. 
Distribution : Resident in south-eastern portions of the 
Western Palearctic region, occurring also throughout India and 
in Japan. 
Habitat: Very similar to that of Akedo ispida, but also 
frequenting the sea-coast. 
Family CORACIIDZ. 
Genus CORACIAS. 
EUROPEAN ROLLER. x 
Coracias garrula Zinn. 
Adult : Chin whitish ; crown, neck and rest of wader parts 
pale greentsh-blue; back and scapulars chestnut; rump clear 
blue, shading into greenish-blue on upper tail-coverts ; wing- 
quills black, with fine blue reflections; a broad fatch on 
shoulders deep blue ; rest of wing-coverts and bases of quills 
bluish-green ; central rectrices dusky, outer ones greenish-blue, 
paler towards tips, outermost pair tipped with black; bill 
black ; legs and feet reddish-brown ; irides brown. Length 
r2-sanches;. culmen 1°25 5 wine 4775, tail 5; tarsus o's. i 
Young: Have the whole plumage more or less suffused 
with brown. 
Distribution : Summer visitant to the temperate parts of 
Europe, migrating in autumn into Central and Southern 
Africa. Has occurred sometimes in Great Britain. 
Habitat: Sparsely wooded localities. 
