26 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Ireland. — Almost annual passage-migrant in spring and autumn 

 on south coast, but has never nested. Vagrant elsewhere. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe, more frequent in south. East- 

 wards to west Siberia and west Turkestan, breeding apparently also in 

 north-west India. In winter in Africa as far as Gambia, Haussaland, 

 Abyssinia and Galla countries, and south India. Casual Fseroes, 

 Iceland, Spitsbergen, also Azores and Madeira. Replaced by other 

 forms in east Siberia and Mongolia to Tibet, Egypt, tropical and 

 south Africa, Madagascar, India, Ceylon, south China, and Hainan. 



Order CORACI^. 



Palate desmognathous ; cervical vertebrae 14 ; basi -pterygoid 

 processes rudimentary or absent ; vomer very narrow. Ambiens 

 muscle absent. Sternum each side with two indentations, with 

 spina externa but without interna. Oil-gland naked. Bill short 

 and strong ; tip strongly curved down. 10 primaries, 12 rectrices. 

 Tarsus in front with large scutes. Eggs unspotted white in hollows 

 (of trees or otherwise). Old World only. Two families or sub- 

 families, but only one, Coraciince {Coraciidce) in Palsearctic region, 

 the other (Leptosomatidce or Leptosomatince) restricted to Madagascar 

 and Comoro Islands. 



Family COBACUDM. 



Characters same as those of Order Coratice. 



Genus CORACIAS L. 



Coracias Linnasus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 107 (1758 — Type by subsequent 

 designation, of Gray 1855 : C. garrulus). 



Bill hard, much narrower at base than long and with a few 

 short, curved rictal bristles. Tail more than half length of wing, 

 central and lateral pair generally (in some tropical species very 

 much) elongated. Fifteen species of which, however, one only 

 is European, in Europe, Africa and Asia south to Celebes. 



CORACIAS GARRULUS 



219. Coracias garrulus garrulus L. — THE ROLLER. 



Coracias Garrulus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 107 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Coracias garrulus Linnasus, Yarrell, 11, p. 428 ; Saunders, p. 281. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Summer. — Fore-head with 

 basal part of feathers showing dull brownish -white ; rest of crown 

 and nape pale greenish-blue ; mantle and scapulars bright chestnut- 

 brown ; back and rump deep purplish-blue ; upper tail-coverts 

 more greenish ; lores and round eyes blackish-brown, bases of 



