36 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 
Jerdon gives the following diagnosis of the family :—“‘ Bill moderate or rather 
long, strong, broad at the base, compressed towards the tip, which is hooked, and 
sometimes slightly notched; the gape-is large, with or without rictal bristles; 
tarsus short, stout; feet moderate; toes free, or slightly syndactyle; wings moderate 
or long, broad; tail variable, sometimes short or even, at other times with very 
elongated outer tail-feathers.” 
The wings of the Rollers have ten primaries, the first of which is long, and 
the character of their bills is extremely like that of the Crows, but their feet are 
entirely dissimilar, small, with weak and reticulated hind toe and claw. 
In their flight and harsh noisy notes the Rollers much resemble Jays, whilst 
even their food is not dissimilar, they obtain it either on the ground or when 
flying; they usually breed in holes in trees, but sometimes in river-banks, rocks, 
or old buildings: their eggs remind one of those of Kingfishers, being very round, 
pure white, and glossy. 
The Rollers represent a very small family of birds of extremely brilliant 
colouring, bluish green and ultramarine being the prevalent hues. Only one 
species occurs as a straggler to our shores. 
These birds are somewhat pugnacious, especially at the breeding-season. As 
cage-birds they ought not to be difficult to keep, so far as their food is concerned ; 
but I have never heard of any species of Coracias being kept in this country by 
private aviculturists; although, in Germany, fairly successful attempts seem to 
have been made to keep both Rollers and Bee-eaters; the latter one would have 
expected to find less suited to captivity. 
Family—CORA CHDA:. 
THE Rotter. 
Coracias garrulus, LINN. 
EEBOHM thus speaks of the distribution of this bird :—‘‘ The Roller breeds 
in most parts of Europe south of lat. 60°, but is only of accidental occur- 
rence in the north of France, Belgium, Holland, and the British Islands; * it has 
* Gatke mentions that only three examples have been killed during his time on Heligoland—A.G.B. 
