348 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 90 



former. When percbed it is a beautiful sight, but on the 

 wing it is a dream of loveliness as its greenish blue colors, 

 mingled with various other shades of blue, gleam in the sun- 

 light. Its brilliant coloring, together with its large size, a 

 trifle more than twelve inches in length, makes it a conspic- 

 uous sight, which is noted by all travelers, no matter how 

 blind they are to other birds. Since it hunts for its insect 

 food very much as do our Shrikes there is frequent display 

 of its enchanting colors. Although sacred to the god Siva, 

 this distinction has not saved it from the toils of the plumage 

 hunters, and it is far less numerous than so useful and beau- 

 tiful a creature ought to be. It was my experience to note 

 the species quite often in some portions of the southern 

 journey, and in diminishing- numbers as far as Delhi, aftar 

 which none was seen. It is interesting to recall that Mr. 

 Finn has written that he thinks this species can be acclima- 

 tized in America. It certainly is a pity that the experiment 

 was not tried upon some such bird instead of the hateful 

 English Sparrow. 



The Indian Roller is frequently called a Blue Jay ; anent 

 this slip Mr. Douglas Dewar has this to say : " He is not a 

 jay at all ; but the misnomer is perhaps a pardonable one, for 

 in more respects than one the bird resembles the true jays, 

 and I am told that the European roller (Coracias garrula), a 

 near relative of the Indian blue jay, is known in parts of 

 Germany as the Birch Jay. American visitors to India, how- 

 ever, make no such mistake. You never hear one of them 

 call the roller a jay. They dub him the Surprise Bird, a 

 name which admirably suits both him and the paddy bird." — 

 To this gratuitous modicum of praise all Americans should 

 dofl: the hat. That one Briton has seen fit to acknowledge 

 that in one instance Americans can do the right thing in the 

 right place is worthy of more than passing notice. It was a 

 matter of great surprise to me that during six weeks of 

 reading India's newspapers never except once did I find them 

 containing anything but sneers, lies, and misrep-resentations, 

 when making mention of Americans or things American ; 



