THE BEE-EATER 135 



one which was shot close to my garden, on the twentieth of 

 September, 1852. The winter home of the Roller is Africa, and 

 it is said to be particularly abundant in Algeria. About the 

 middle of April it crosses the Mediterranean, and seems to prefer 

 the north of Europe to the south as a summer residence, being more 

 abundant in Germany and the south of Russia than in France, 

 though many proceed no further than Sicily and Greece. Its food 

 consists mainly of caterpillars and other insects. The name Roller, 

 being derived directly from the French Rollier, should be pronounced 

 so as to rhyme with ' dollar ' 



FAMILY MEROPIDiE 

 THE BEE-EATER 



MEROPS APIASTER 



Forehead white, passing into bluish green ; upper plumage chestnut ; throat 

 golden yellow, bounded by a black line ; wings variegated with blue, 

 brown, and green ; tail greenish blue. Length eleven inches. Eggs 

 glossy white. 



This bird, which in brilliancy of plumage vies with the Humming- 

 birds, possesses little claim to be ranked among soberly clad British 

 birds. Stray instances are indeed met with from time to time, but 

 at distant intervals. In the islands of the Mediterranean, and in 

 the southern countries of Europe, they are common summer visitors, 

 and in Asia Minor and the south of Russia they are yet more frequent. 

 They are gregarious in habits, having been observed, both in Europe, 

 their summer, and in Africa, their winter residence, to perch together 

 on the branches of trees in small flocks. They also build their 

 nests near each other. These are excavations in the banks of rivers, 

 variously stated to be extended to the depth of from six inches to 

 as -many feet. Their flight is graceful and light, resembling that 

 of the Swallows. Their food consists of winged insects, especially 

 bees and wasps, which they not only catch when they are 

 wandering at large through the air, but watch for near their nests. 

 The inhabitants of Candia and Cyprus are said to catch them by 

 the help of a light silk line, to which is attached by a fish-hook a 

 wild bee. The latter in its endeavour to escape soars into the air, 

 and the Bee-eater seizing it becomes the prey of the aerial fisherman. 



