THE ROLLER 



so that it is unnecessary to recapitulate it here. But it must be 

 1 1 membered that in most parts of Europe it it by no means a common 

 bird. It is, however, plentiful in some parts of the Iberian Peninsula, 

 such as the Guadalquivir valley above Seville, and is fairly common in 

 Sieilv. and extremely numerous in the lower Danube valley, except 

 where it has been exterminated by plume-hunters, parts of South 

 Russia and Asia Minor. Naiunann remarks that it is found only in 

 tlat or slight 1\ hilly districts, where the soil is sandy, and that it haunts 

 open woodlands, interspersed with old oaks, or the neighbourhood of 

 pine forests. We have, however, already seen that though this is true 

 for Germany it does not hold good for the southern portion of its 



r.m_. . uli, iv il i- ;i con >n breeding species, to a eon>iderahle height 



in the Great Atlas. In the same way, where the bird is scarce and 

 liable to persecution, it is decidedly shy and wary, but where plentiful, 

 as locally in North Africa and the Balkan Peninsula, it is quite the 

 reverse. In the Dobrogea I have driven within two yards of a bird 

 seated on a bush by a roadside without causing it to take wing. 



MoM of the birds \\hich arrive in Northern Kurope appear to be 

 already paired, and proceed at once to the business of breeding ; but 

 the appearance of an unmated male on the scene is the signal for an 

 energetic attack, accompanied with loud and harsh cries, and he is 

 soon chased away from the neighbourhood Where the birds are 

 plentiful, and many pairs are found breeding in company, a good deal 

 of bickering and fighting undoubtedly takes place. Nun maim goes 

 still further, and states that much quarrelling, accompanied by noise 

 and continual pecking, takes place between the sexes till the eggs are 

 laid, but this is not confirmed by von Lowis and other observers. 

 During the fights between rival males, whole bunches of feathers are 

 torn out, especially from the head, and severe bites are given. In 

 some cases a pair of fighting birds have been picked up by ha ml. 

 neither being willing to let go his hold, and Naumann states that such 

 birds are occasionally captured by prowling foxes. But the most 

 remarkable feature about the behaviour of the male at this eoteop is 



