49



in its wild state and also in captivity, once told me that in Spain

they frequent the vineyards for the purpose of feeding on the

smaller lizards, etc., which they invariably swallow whole, and

in the same manner that the Kingfisher swallows fish, and that

in captivity they will eat small fish. He likewise stated that

they have a fall spring moult and also an autumnal moult.

Neither of my present birds moulted in 1897, their year of birth.

From January to March, 1898, the female moulted fully and the

male partially : but the latter recommenced moulting towards

the end of Odtober, and the female has since followed suit.


Mr. Howard Saunders says of this species in his

Illustrated Manual of British Birds , “ The food consists of

beetles and other insects captured on the ground.” In the

summer, when my birds were frequently in the garden—for the

Roller must have plenty of space if it is to have a chance—I found

that when I tossed mealworms to the male he caught them in

the air nearly as cleverly as the Drongo (Disseinurus paradiseusJ

does, from which circumstance I should feel disposed to say,

even without further evidence, that the species takes its food

occasionally in the air. I have read somewhere, or have been

told, perhaps by Mr. Meade-Waldo, that the Roller (I understood

the European Roller to be referred to) is in the habit of following

flights of locusts for the purpose of feeding on them, taking

them in the air quite readily.


Mr. Meade-Waldo, in a letter dated 16U1 April, 1898,

mentioned a curious circumstance : “ I have a splendid male

(European Roller) in an aviary here ; he has assumed perfedt

adult breeding plumage. He has always fed voraciously on

chopped birds, mice, cockroaches, mealworms, lizards, etc., but

now, for no apparent reason beyond a strong migratory impulse,

he has refused all food for ten days (I learned afterwards that

this fast lasted a fortnight) ; he is in perfect health, strong, and

looks hard, just as if he was on his full diet. I imagine he must

be living 011 some great store of internal fat, which is provided

to carry him through his migrations. He is quite tame, in a

large and very warm outdoor aviary, in company with two pairs

of Sand Grouse and a pair of Trumpeter Bullfinches.”


My male holds himself up better than the female, and

seems to be a stouter bird. He is also a good deal the more

adventurous of the two.



