216 BIRDS or INDIA. 



smeared with bird-lime, and it is placed on the oround, not far 

 from the tree where the bird is perched. On spying the insect 

 movin<T about, down swoops the Roller, seizes the bait, and on 

 raising its wings to start back, one, or both, are certain to be 

 cauoht by the viscid bird-lime. By means of this very simple 

 contrivance, many birds that descend to the ground to capture 

 insects are taken, such as the King-crows {Dicruri), common 

 Shrikes, some Thrushes, Fly-catchers, and even the large Kingfishers 

 (Haley on). 



The Roller has a very harsh grating cry or scream, which it always 

 utters when disturbed, and often at other times also. Mr. Blyth states 

 that in spring the male has a pleasing dissyllabic cry, repeated at 

 intervals : this I cannot say I have heard. As previously 

 mentioned, it is often selected as the quarry for the Turumtl Falcon 

 i^Falco chicqucra), and its extraordinary evolutions to escape tlae 

 hawk, and its harsh cries, are noticed under the description of 

 that falcon. 



It breeds towards the end of the hot weather and be^-innino; of 

 the rains, in holes of trees, old walls, old pagodas, laying three or 

 four round rather pure white eggs. Tickell says that they are four 

 or five, full deep antwerp-blue. In this case a Myna's eggs were pro- 

 bably brought to him, as that bird builds in similar places, and its 

 eggs are blue. What eggs Layard can have got as those of the 

 Roller I am at a loss to imagine ; he describes the eggs as greenish, 

 profusely speckled with dark brown spots, taken from hollow trees. 

 Captain Irby says that it breeds in the roofs of houses in Oudh, as 

 well as ill holes of trees, and that it sometimes makes a hole for its 

 nest in the thatch of bungalow^s. I have not seen it so familiar In 

 the south of India, but Adams also states that it breeds in the 

 thatch of bungalows, and in chimneys. Does not he refer to the 

 Coracias garrula ? It is very quarrelsome and pugnacious in the 

 breedinor season. 



The Nilkant is sacred to Siva, who assumed its form ; and at 

 the feast of the Dasserah, at Napgore, one, or more, used to be liber- 

 ated by the Rajah, amidst the firing of cannon and musketrj', at a 

 grand parade attended by all the oUicers of the station. 



