424 THE ROLLER 



THE ROLLER 

 [F. C. R. JOURDAIN] 



Although only an occasional visitor in small numbers to the 

 British Isles, the history of the roller as a British bird can be traced 

 back for over two hundred and fifty years. For the earliest notice of 

 its appearance we are indebted to Sir Thomas Browne, who recorded 

 a specimen killed near Crostwick in Norfolk on May 14, 1644, and 

 sent by him to Merrett. Since that date some twenty-three specimens 

 have been recorded from Norfolk alone, and Professor Newton, 

 writing prior to 1882, estimated that about a hundred occurrences 

 during the nineteenth century were then known. Probably at least 

 twenty more have been recorded since that time, so that we may 

 roughly estimate the average number of occurrences as one annually. 

 A study of the localities from which these records have been derived 

 shows that fair numbers have reached us in all the south coast counties, 

 but that the greater part arrive along our eastern coast-line, especially 

 in East Anglia, although some are known to have occurred as far 

 north as Caithness, Sutherland, the Orkneys and Shetlands, and one 

 has even been recorded from St. Kilda. In our inland and western 

 counties the records are not numerous, for, as a rule, the roller is far 

 too conspicuous a bird to be allowed to live long with us. To Ireland, 

 according to Mr. R. J. Ussher's latest list, it is a very rare straggler, 

 which has occurred in all the four provinces, and ten specimens have 

 been obtained in all. The great majority of our British records have 

 been made during the period of the autumnal migration, but there are 

 a few instances in which it has been shot during the summer months, 

 and in some cases a pair have arrived at the same time. There is, 

 however, no reason whatever to suppose that it has ever bred here, 

 although its breeding range on the Continent extends farther north 

 than the latitude of the Shetlands. 



