19S MEROPID.T.. 



siiinincr visiter to Sweden, arriving in May "with the Cuckoo ; 

 it breeds tlicre in hollow trees, and departs in September ; it 

 is seen also in the southern provinees of Russia. In some 

 parts of Germany it is not uncommon ; but according to M. 

 Temminck, never visits Holland : it is rather rare in France ; 

 is found in Provence, and has been taken at Gibraltar. It 

 inhabits North Africa from Morocco to Egypt. Adanson 

 saw flocks at Senegal, and supposed they passed the winter 

 there ; and Dr. Andrew Smith includes it in his Catalogue of 

 the Birds of South Africa. In Italy during autumn young 

 birds of the year are not uncommon, generally frequenting 

 gardens. In Malta and Sicily they are commonly exposed 

 for sale in the markets. In the Morea, these birds being 

 very fat in autumn, arc sought after as a choice article of 

 food. It has been remarked* by a traveller in Asia Minor, 

 that " The Roller was most common throughout the south 

 and west parts of the country, wherever the Magpie was not 

 found ; and was not seen in the same district with that bird. 

 'J'he Roller was observed to fall through the air like a Tum- 

 bler Pigeon." It has been taken at Aleppo. The Zoolo- 

 gical Society have received specimens from Trebizond and 

 Erzerum ; and a Russian naturalist has found that it visits 

 the countries lying between the Black and the Caspian Seas. 

 M. Temminck includes it among the Birds of .Tapan. 



The beak is black ; the irides reddish brown ; behind the 

 eye a triangular naked spot ; head, neck, and wing-coverts, 

 greenish blue, approaching in richness to verditer blue; back, 

 scapularies, and tertials, yellowish brown ; shoulders and 

 rump China blue ; u})per tail-coverts Berlin blue ; the two 

 mi(hlle tail-feathers blackish green; the others, for two-thirds 

 of their length, bluish green, the shafts black ; the outer 

 feather on each side tipped with black ; the })rimary and 

 secondary (juill-feathers verditer blue at the base, the rest 



* Annals of Nat. Hist. Nov. 1839, page 213. 



