BIRDS THAT KEEP ORDER 133 



practically all over the East the loafing 

 criminal birds are looked after by these black- 

 coated policemen. 



In South Africa, however, we find a very 

 beautiful bird which distinguishes himself in 

 this way. This is one of the rollers, a family 

 of insect-eating birds of rather large size, being 

 about as big as jays ; and as they have more 

 or less of blue in their plumage, like jays, 

 they are generally known as " blue-jays " 

 where they are found. There is one very 

 common kind in India, which shares the 

 telegraph-wires with the king-crow, and a 

 lovely bird it looks when flying, with its blue 

 and purple wings. I never saw it chase other 

 birds, but its African relative, which has two 

 long tail-feathers like streamers, but is very 

 like it otherwise, is a great warrior, and gives 

 hawks and crows a very lively time if they 

 venture anywhere near its chosen perch. 



English people at the Cape call this roller 

 " Moselikatze's bird," for that grim old 

 Matabele chief, the father of Lobengula, 

 thought a great deal of it, and would let no 

 one wear its feathers but himself ; no doubt 

 he looked on it as a great war-chief in the 



