THE ROLLER. 105 



breast, seat, greater and under wing coverts, are blueish green ; 

 the back, shoulders, and the three last pen feathers, are liver- 

 coloured ; the tail coverts, lesser wing coverts, and the con- 

 cealed side of the pen feathers, indigo blue on the inner margin. 

 The outer plume of the pen feathers is black, with the half 

 nearest the root blueish green. The tail is straight, a dirty 

 blueish green at the root, but towards the point of a purer and 

 lighter tinge. The two centre feathers are quite a brownish 

 green ; the first is black at the point ; the second to the fifth 

 are tipped with brown, and have a large blue spot on the inner 

 plume. All the feathers have a peculiar metallic lustre. 



The female, on the head, neck, breast, and belly, is reddish 

 grey, mottled with greenish blue. The back and the hind- 

 most pen feathers are a clear greyish brown ; the rump green, 

 mottled with blue ; the tail blackish, tinged with green and 

 blue. In other respects she is like the male. 



Habitat. This bird is a native of Europe and North 

 Africa, though by no means to be found everywhere in those 

 countries. In Germany it chiefly frequents oak and fir woods, 

 especially those on sandy plains, though its traces are some- 

 times met with in other localities. In confinement it ought 

 to be allowed to range the room with one wing cut. 



Food-, It is said, when wild, to eat not only insects and 

 frogs, but also roots, acorns, grain, and the like. As I have 

 never seen it, when in confinement, take any vegetable nutri- 

 ment, I have some difficulty in accepting the above statement. 



Breeding. The nest is built in hollow trees, and consists of 

 twigs, grass stalks, feathers, and hair. The eggs, of which 

 the female lays five or six, are white, at the upper end very 

 round, and equally pointed at the lower. The male and female 

 share the labours of incubation, which occupy from eighteen 

 to twenty days. The young birds do not acquire the beautiful 

 blueish green hue till the second year. Before that period the 

 prevailing colour on the head, neck, and breast, is greyish white. 



I had till recently believed that the Roller was untameable, 

 but have been convinced of the contrary by Dr. METER, of 

 Offenbach, and M. VON CLAIRVILLE, of Wintershur, who have both 

 been successful in the attempt. 



Dr. MEYER'S method is as follows : " The young birds are 

 to be taken from the nest when half fledged, and fed with 

 chopped bullock's heart, beef, and tripe, till they can feed them- 



