ROLLER. 157 



The young birds, after the first moult, are feathered as 

 follows : the eye is brownish-grey, the beak brown, black 

 towards the tip, and yellow on the corners of the gape ; 

 the legs pale yellow. The head, neck, breast, and belly, 

 are dirty brownish-grey, with paler tips to the feathers, which 

 reflect a weak olive-brown colour ; the vent is whitish, tinged 

 with bluish green. The back, shoulders, the hinder quills, 

 and the greater part of the hinder wing-coverts, rusty yellow- 

 ish-grey, in certain lights, tinged with olive and pale brown 

 edges to the feathers. On the bend of the wing there is 

 hardly any violet to be observed ; the larger wing-coverts 

 dirty bluish-green, as also the roots of the secondary quills, 

 their extremities violet-black, with narrow dirty-white tips 

 and edges. This latter extends to the quills of the first 

 order, of which the first has a streak of bluish-green on the 

 outer sides ; the second has a brown streak towards the root, 

 and the last has the root bluish-green, which colour extends 

 over the wing-coverts. The somewhat irregular shaped tail 

 is of an olive greyish brown, with a bluish-green reflection 

 on the outer side. The under parts of wings and tail as in 

 the adult, but less brilliant. 



In the nest feathering these birds are very dull coloured ; 

 the head, neck, lower part of the back, and the whole of 

 the under parts, are tinged with a dirty pale greyish-green ; 

 the upper part of the back and shoulders greyish brown, with 

 an overpowering tinge of dirty green ; wings and tail as in 

 the last described ; the iris grey, the legs pale brownish- 

 yellow. 



Their moult takes place in the warmer countries towards 

 autumn, as they are most brilliant in the spring when they 

 return to Europe. 



The name of Garrules is very properly bestowed upon 

 these birds, as they make a continued chattering which most 

 resembles that of the magpie. Their call is harsh and shrill, 



