COMMON ROLLER. 329 



the ground it is very clumsy, and hops with great effort, owing possibly 

 to its extremely short legs and weak feet. It flies very quickly, but 

 occasionally tumbles like a Pigeon, whence its common name " Roller." 

 The note of this bird is extremely harsh, something like the sound made 

 by a ratchet-drill a loud harsh wrack wrack. Although these birds were 

 rather silent when I observed them in the valley of the Danube last year, 

 the Roller is a noisy bird, especially in the early months of spring, when 

 the important business of pairing is in progress. At this season angry 

 males will often chase each other with great speed through the trees ; 

 and their aerial evolutions are probably for the purpose of displaying their 

 brilliant tints to advantage whilst wooing the females. 



The food of the Roller is largely composed of insects and beetles, which 

 it chiefly obtains on the ground amongst manure. It also searches 

 eagerly for caterpillars and worms, and catches frogs, for which it will 

 wait and watch from some convenient perch in those places which abound 

 with these reptiles. There seems to be no evidence that it ever eats 

 grain, or in fact any vegetable substances. Naumann asserts that caged 

 birds, when given any vegetable matter to eat, die from its effects ; but 

 this requires further confirmation. A favourite mode of feeding adopted 

 by the Roller is to sit on some clod of earth or other vantage-ground, and 

 wait patiently until it sees a beetle or a locust moving, then to suddenly 

 pounce down and capture the prize. 



The breeding-season of the Roller generally commences about the middle 

 of May, though sometimes it appears that they do not begin laying until 

 much later. This is certainly the case in some parts of Algeria, where 

 possibly the long duration of suitable weather for the purpose renders 

 them in no hurry to commence. The Roller generally chooses a hole 

 in a rock or a tree in which to lay its eggs ; but it often makes use 

 of a hole in a bank or in a wall or building. Except on migration, 

 it cannot be regarded as a gregarious bird ; but Tristram says that he 

 once met with a colony of Rollers in Palestine that were breeding in holes 

 excavated by themselves in a bank. Where the eggs are laid in an old 

 nest of a Woodpecker they are deposited upon the bare wood-dust at the 

 bottom of the hole ; but in other places it makes a slight structure of 

 twigs, grass, and even feathers. The height of the nest from the ground, 

 when in trees, varies considerably, no choice being apparently shown in 

 the matter : so long as a suitable hole is found, the bird does not trouble 

 itself at what height it is placed. Both birds assist in incubation ; and 

 during the time it is in progress the male often performs various evo- 

 lutions in the air, as is the case with the Jay, the Snipe, and many other 

 birds. The eggs of the Roller are from three or four to six in number, 

 somewhat globular in form, and pure and glossy white in colour. 

 Tuey vary considerably in size, typical examples measuring from 1*55 to 



