The Common Rolleb.- 



-BIEDS.- 



-The Javanese Todv. 



2?3 



purpose, whence it is known in Germany as tlie Birch- 

 jay. In lliose places where trees are scarce, as in 

 Malta, the Roller is said to breed upon the ground, or 

 in the holes of old buildings; and in the treeless regions 

 of Southern Russia, it makes its nest in holes of the 



clay-banks of the rivers. This habit is exactly similar 

 to that of the Kingfishers and Bee-eaters, which are 

 now associated with the Rollers in the tribe of the 

 Fissirostres, and thus furnishes an additional bond of 

 union between these groups of birds, which is further 



Fie. 105. 



The Common Knll'-r (Corjicias gai-nila). 



Strengthened by the fact, that the eggs of the Roller, 

 which are usually four in number, are exactly similar 

 in shape and in their pure white colour, to those of 

 our common Kingfisher and Bee-eater. It is a noisy 

 and restless bird, a circumstance which has doubtless 

 had much to do with the popular notion by wliich the 

 Roller is associated with the Pies, and especially with 

 the Jay. This, and its brilliant colouring, lias also 

 given rise to a comparison of this bird with the Parrots 

 — it is not only called the Steppe -Parrot in Russia, but 

 is also known as the German Parrot, in more western 

 countries of Europe. In the autumn the young birds 

 become very fat, and acquire a good flavour, when they 

 are eagerly sought after in Greece and elsewhere, as a 

 choice article of food. 



THE INDIAN ROLLER {Coracias iiidica) is an 

 abundant species in most parts of India, where it is 

 regarded by the Hindoos as sacred, from a belief that 

 the god Siva once assumed its form. It is a bird of 

 brilliant plumage, green and blue being the prevailing 

 colours ; the throat and breast are reddish. The 

 lengtli is about thirteen inches. It inhabits the groves 

 of trees about the villages, and also the jmigle, and 

 flies buoyantly, but with a constant flappmg of the 

 wings. In its habits it is rather shy, fljdng off' at the 

 approach of a man; but towards its feathered neigh- 

 liours it exhibits considerable pugnacity of disposition, 

 driving oft the crows from its vicinity with great ease. 

 Its food consists principallj' of large insects, such as 

 grasshoppers, caterpillars, and mole- crickets, but it is 



said also to feed on mice. The nest is rather large, 

 but loosely put together, built of twigs, and lined with 

 grasses; it is generally placed near the summit of a 

 middle-sized tree growing m the vicinity of water. 

 The eggs are four or five in number, and of a deep 

 blue colour. 



THE LONG-TAILED ROLLER {Coracias catidata) is 

 of larger size than the preccdmg species, measuring 

 from sixteen to seventeen inches in length ; it has the 

 back orange-brown ; the lower surface of the body, the 

 head, tlie neck, and the wing-coverts, sea-green ; the 

 forehead, a streak over each eye, and the chin white ; 

 the quill feathers of the wings blue, those of the tail 

 greenish, tire two middle ones being greenish-black, 

 and the two outer ones, which are a good deal longer 

 than the rest, crossed by a band of blue and black 

 towards the tip. This handsome bird is abundant in 

 Africa, where it appears to migrate southwards in the 

 summer from the tropics, towards the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Its habits are not well known, but according 

 to Le Vaillaut it lives in the woods, and feeds both 

 upon fruits and insects. In the nortir of Africa it is 

 said to breed in holes in the banks of rivers, and also 

 m the crevices of rocks, old buildings, and similar 

 situations. 



THE JAVANESE TODY {Eurylaimus javanicus) — 

 Plate e, fig. 19— is an example of a remarkable group 

 of birds belonging to this family, all of which are found 

 only in India, and the neighbouring islands. The 

 Javanese Tody, which was discovered by Dr. Horsfield 



