THE BLUE- J AY. 95 ■ 



species, called by naturalists Coracias affinis, our 

 bird being Coracias indica. The Burmese bird is 

 rather larger than ours and very much darker in the 

 general tone of its plumage, although curiously 

 enough the tail is lighter, not having the purple band 

 ab the tip which so well sets ofi that of t^he Indian 

 bird. The young, also, of the Burmese Roller are 

 different from the parents, being much lighter and 

 duUer. This species must be found wild near Calcutta, 

 though I have never seen it even on the telegraph 

 wires by the railway ; but I have seen some more or 

 less pure Burmese specimens brought in, fresh-caught 

 for sale, and have successfully " meated them off," 

 as bird-fanciers say, together with the common bird. 

 For it is easy enough to get adult Rollers to feed in 

 confinement if you start them on cockroaches all — 

 more or less — alive and kicking. Water they do not 

 constantly require,, for they seldom appear to drink 

 when they have the chance, in this total abstinence 

 again resembhng the kingfishers ; but unlike those 

 birds they not pnly bathe, but wallow and shuffle in 

 dust like a fowl when they want a clean-up. 



It is curious that, being so easy to keep in con- 

 finement, the Indian Roller has so seldom been sent 

 to England. Some time ago a well-known London 

 fancier of birds obtained a very seedy specimen from 

 a dealer, and more recently my friend Mr. E. W. Harper 



