PICARIAN BIRDS 



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In another family group the yellow-beaked purple roller (Eurystomus afer) 

 represents a genus ranging from central Africa through Asia and Australia to 

 New Zealand. In colour this bird is cinnamon-brown above and violet below, with 

 the sides of the head purple, the lower tail-coverts pale blue, the wing-coverts 

 dark blue, and the tail pale blue at the base and dark blue at the tip. The 



KED-BEAKED WOOD-HOOPOE. 



European blue roller (Coracias garrulus) occurs in the northern districts, while 

 other "members of the same genus range all over the continent. The wood-hoopoes, 

 which are restricted to Africa, and form a subfamily of hoopoes ( TJ'pupidcB), are 

 birds with long, wedge-shaped tails and the fourth and second toes partially 

 connected with the others. In flight they use the wings of opposite sides alternately. 

 These birds associate in small numbers in the tops of tall forest trees, where they 

 hang in titmouse-fashion from the boughs, and climb to obtain their food, which 



