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day, keeping company with the train, which seems to have a sort of attraction for them, whereas 

 the Bee-eater, which is equally abundant, seldom flies with the train. It breeds in May, nesting 

 in holes of trees, walls, old towers, and also in banks, but never in what can be called colonies. 

 The eggs seldom exceed five ; and I think four is the average number. During the pairing-time 

 they perform sundry grotesque antics and gyrations in the air, throwing somersaults, as I have 

 also seen the Eaven do." 



Count Salvadori says it is not plentiful in Sardinia, but has been seen near Oristano in small 

 numbers. As regards its occurrence in Italy, he writes : — 



"This bird is rather scarce, although specimens are met with annually in one or the other 

 part of Italy. It arrives in spring, and leaves us in the autumn. A few have also bred here ; 

 Bonaparte mentions some old ruins not far from Rome as nesting-places of this bird. When I 

 was at Barcellona, in Sicily, I saw, as I thought, some of these birds flying along a ravine in 

 company with Jackdaws, and they appeared to have their abode there. Their flight is heavy, and 

 resembles that of a Crow or Jay." 



According to Malherbe, great numbers inhabit Sicily in the summer. 



Throughout all Germany the Roller is not a rare bird, and in Austria and Styria is common 

 during the summer, as also along the whole district of the Danube. In Turkey it is also common ; 

 and Lindermayer tells us that it comes early in April and breeds in Greece. Lord Lilford states 

 that it arrives in great numbers in Corfu about the middle of April ; it only remains a few days, 

 but breeds on the mainland. 



Demidoff found it plentiful on the Black Sea, arriving in the Southern Crimea late in 

 March. Eversmann says that it was common at Orenberg, going northward as far as Kazan. 

 To the eastward it is found in Asia Minor, Persia, Mesopotamia ; and Jerdon says it is found in 

 the extreme north-west of India ; according to Lord Walden and Capt. Hutton it is very common 

 in Cashmere and Afghanistan. Pallas states that it occurs in Lower Siberia and breeds in the 

 Altai Mountains — arriving in April, generally with the Bee-eater. Dr. Tristram also found it 

 common in Palestine ; and Capt. Sperling considers it to be plentiful in the countries of the 

 Mediterranean. In Malta it is abundant, and we have received many specimens from Mr. C. A. 

 Wright. 



In Algeria Mr. Salvin found them " not unfrequently about the wooded hills which skirt 

 the elevated plains of the Eastern Atlas ; " here they were breeding in May. Loche says it is 

 very common in Algeria. Mr. Tyrwhitt Drake saw it frequently in Tangier and Eastern Morocco 

 about the middle or end of April, and states that it breeds further down the west coast. 



Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., has favoured us with the following note: — 



" The Roller is a summer migrant in Algeria, and arrives with the Woodchat. I should 

 not say that any of them wintered even in the most southern oases. I shot a specimen at El 

 Ateuf from the top of a headless palm : it fell shrieking into a deep camel-path, and was only 

 killed with difficulty. I afterwards saw Rollers in the ' dayat ' of Tibrem, consorting with the 

 Hoopoe and the Moorish Magpie, and giving utterance to then- loud cry of ' shugrug.' I wit- 

 nessed one mob a Neophron, and make feints of attacking him. 



" The Roller is known to the French colon by the name of Geai d'Afrique, as has been 

 stated in 'The Ibis' by Dr. Tristram." 



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