Birds. 



THE ROLLER, (Coracia* garrula,) 



Is about the size of the jay. Its bill is black, sharp, 

 and somewhat hooked. The head is of a dirty green, 

 mingled with blue ; of which colour is also the throat, 

 with white lines in the middle of each feather; the 

 breast is of a pale blue, like that of the pigeon; the 

 middle of the back, between the shoulders, is red ; the 

 rump and lesser coverts of the wings are dark blue ; the 

 feet are short, and, like those of a dove, of a dirty yel- 

 low colour. 



The Roller is wilder than the jay, and frequents the 

 thickest woods ; it builds its nest chiefly on birch-trees. 

 It is a bird of passage, and migrates in the months of 

 May and September. In Africa, it is said to fly in 

 large flocks in the autumn, and is frequently seen on 

 cultivated grounds, with rooks and other birds, search- 

 ing for worms, insects, seeds, berries, roots, and in cases 

 of necessity, small frogs. 



