o6 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs. 



Jerdon gives the following diaguosis of the family : — " Bill moderate or rather 

 long, strong, broad at the base, compressed towards the tip, which is hooked, and 

 sometimes slightly notched ; the gape is large, with or without rictal bristles ; 

 tarsus short, stout ; feet moderate ; toes free, or slightly syndactj'le ; wings moderate 

 or long, broad ; tail variable, sometimes short or even, at other times with very 

 elongated outer tail-feathers." 



The wings of the Rollers ha^■e ten primaries, the first of which is long, and 

 the character of their bills is extremely Hke that of the Crows, but their feet are 

 entirely dissimilar, small, -^nth weak and reticulated hind toe and claw. 



In their flight and harsh noisy notes the Rollers much resemble Jays, whilst 

 even their food is not dissimilar, the}' obtain it either on the ground or when 

 flj'ing ; the}' usually breed in holes in trees, but sometimes in river-banks, rocks, 

 or old buildings : their eggs remind one of those of Kingfishers, being very round, 

 pure white, and glossy. 



The Rollers represent a very small family of birds of extremely brilliant 

 colouring, bluish green and ultramarine being the prevalent hues. Only one 

 species occurs as a straggler to our shores. 



These birds are somewhat pugnacious, especially at the breeding-season. As 

 cage-birds the}' ought not to be difficult to keep, so far as their food is concerned ; 

 but I have never heard of any species of Coracias being kept in this country by 

 private aviculturists ; although, in Germany, fairly successful attempts seem to 

 have been made to keep both Rollers and Bee-eaters ; the latter one would have 

 expected to find less suited to captivity. 



Family— CORACIID^. 



The Roller. 



Coracias garrulus, LiNN. 



SEEBOHM thus speaks of the distribution of this bird: — "The Roller breeds 

 in most parts of Europe south of lat. 60°, but is only of accidental occur- 

 rence in the north of France, Belgium, Holland, and the British Islands ; * it has 



* Gatke mentions that only three examples have been killed durin.t; his time on Heligoland. — A.G.I!. 



