CHAPTER XII 



Rollers, Motmots, Kingfishers, Bee-eaters^ 

 Hoopoes and Hornbills 



ORDER— CORACI^ 



THE Order Coraciae comprises a remarkable as- 

 semblage of birds, mostly of brilliant plumage, 

 and, in the case of the Hornbills, of bizarre 

 shape. 



The Rollers, which look rather like gorgeously col- 

 oured members of the Crow tribe, have representatives 

 all over the temperate parts of Europe, the whole of 

 Africa and central and southern Asia, but none in 

 America. They are extremely beautiful birds, Avith 

 long tail, long, pointed wings and rather weak feet. 

 Their food consists mostly of insects, caught on the 

 wing, but they also eat worms and grubs. The domi- 

 nant colours in their plumage are intense blues and 

 greens. See Plate 9, Fig. 43. 



During the mating season the males practise a verj'' 

 curious flight, turning and twisting in the air, at the 

 same time expanding and contracting the tail. But 

 both sexes have the habit of "rolling" or turning 

 somersaults in the air, which has given them their 

 name. They breed in holes in walls, roofs of houses 

 and tree-trunks, laying several glossy white eggs, for 



142 ' 



