THE SWALLOW-TAILED INDIAN ROLLER. 



( Coracias albifrons. ) 



All the Rollers, and there are several 

 species, are notable because of their ele- 

 gance and splendid colors. They feed 

 while flying and possess many char- 

 acteristics in common with the class of 

 birds called ''Bee-eaters." They subsist 

 almost, if not entirely, on insects for 

 the catching of which they are peculiar- 

 ly fitted by the very wide gape of their 

 bills. The colors of the plumage of the 

 Rollers consist almost entirely of vari- 

 ous shades of green, blue and cinna- 

 mon brown, and all inhabit the warmer 

 latitudes of the Old World, though one, 

 in its migration, passes into the cooler 

 parts of Europe during the summer sea- 

 son. In some of the species, the tail 

 feathers are nearly even in length, while 

 in others, including the bird of our illus- 

 tration, the outer tail feather on each 

 side is greatly lengthened giving the tail 

 a forked appearance similar to that of a 

 swallow. .It is only the adults, how- 

 ever, that have the long tail feathers for 

 while young all the feathers of the tail 

 are of about equal length. 



The name Roller is given to these 

 birds because of its habit of occasion- 

 ally ''roUing or turning over in its flight, 

 somewhat after the fashion of the 

 tumbler pigeon." As early as the year 

 I555> Gesner has said that the name 

 Roller was applied to the species which 

 frequents Europe. However, it is a 

 name which is evidently not in common 

 use in Germany, for there it is generally 

 called Rake apparently because of its 

 harsh note. The origin of the name 

 Swallow-tailed, applied to the bird of 

 our illustration, is apparent. It is a 

 name first used by the eminent natural- 

 ist, Professor A. Milne-Edwards. This 

 bird has also been called the Sea-green 

 Roller, and the Senegal Roller. 



The total length of the Swallow-tailed 

 Indian Roller is not far from .twelve' 



inches, and the longer tail feathers often 

 extend five or more inches beyond the 

 others. Someone has suggested that 

 this beautiful species should have been 

 named clegans, instead of albifrons 

 which refers to the white of the fore- 

 head. It inhabits India and the adja- 

 cent islands and it has been stated that 

 it is found in Northern Africa, though 

 this seems doubtful. Its habits are said 

 to be similar to those of the common 

 roller which has a wide distribution 

 over Europe, Southern Asia and Africa. 

 This roller "is always restless and un- 

 easy, moving from tree to tree, where 

 it always settles on the summit, or on a 

 dead branch. When undisturbed, it is 

 fond of sitting in the sunshine, but dur- 

 ing rainy weather is dull and moping. 

 It never hops about among the 

 branches, but flies from branch to 

 branch, now and then descending to the 

 ground, where it hops heavily and with 

 an awkward demeanor. Its flight is 

 quick, very easy, and much resembles 

 that of a pigeon; in flying straight, it 

 flaps the wings quickly, turns and over- 

 balances itself often, and glides or 

 shoots through the air for some dis- 

 tance before dropping onto a dead 

 branch." The Swallow-tailed Roller 

 nests in the hollows of trees, the e.s^gs 

 being laid on a scant lining of grasses, 

 feathers and hair. Both sexes assist in 

 the duties of incubation which cover a 

 period of about three weeks. All the 

 Rollers sit very closely on the eggs, 

 though at other times they are very shy, 

 and it is said that the common roller 

 has been lifted from the nest. 



The Rollers are not exempt from the 

 demands of fashion. Thousands upon 

 thousands of two species which inhabit 

 India are killed annually to meet the de- 

 mand for "gaudy feathers to bedizen 

 ladies' dresses." 



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