CORACIAS. 103 



This family is found in tropical and temperate regions of the 

 Old World. Two genera are Indian. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. Bill compressed ; breadth at gape about half 



length of culmen CORACIAS, p. 103. 



b. Bill snort, broad ; breadth at gape about equal 



to culmen EURYSTOMUS, p. 107. 



Genus CORACIAS, Linn., 1766. 



Bill rather long, compressed, culmen slightly curved, nostrils 

 elongate ; gape wide, with strong rictal bristles. 



To this genus belong three Indian and Burmese birds, of which 

 one is migratory and only occurs in North-western India. Species 

 are found throughout Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and in 

 Celebes. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Lower parts only blue in part. 



a'. Under wing-coverts, abdomen, and lower tail- 

 coverts pale blue C. indica, p. 103. 



b'. Under wing-coverts deep blue, pale blue con- 

 fined to vent and lower tail-coverts . C. affinis, p. 105. 



b. Lower parts pale blue throughout C. yarrula, p. 100. 



Fig. 29. Head of C. indica. 



1022. Coracias indica. The Indian Roller. 

 Coracias indica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 159 (1766) ; Blyth, Cat. p. 51 ; 



Legye, Birds Ceyl. p. 281 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 237 ; Murray^ 

 Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 109 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 97 ; id. Jour. 

 Bomb. N. H. Soc. iv, p. 9 ; Davidson, Jour. Bomb. N. H. Soc. i, 

 p. 176; Gates in Hume's N. fy E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 53 ; Sharpe, 

 P. Z. S. 1890, p. 547 ; id. Cat. B. M. xvii, p. 10. 



Nilkant, Sal.zak, H. ; Tds, Mahr. ; Pain, pitta, Tel. ; Kuttu AWr/', 

 Pal-kuruvi, Tarn. ; Panany-karda, Tarn. Ceylon ; Doong-kowluwa, Cing. ; 

 Blue Jay or Jay of Europeans in India. 



