THE ROLLER. 



feathers brownish-white ; chin brownish-white ; throat, ear- 

 coverts and sides of neck bright greenish-blue with paler shaft- 

 streaks ; rest of under-parts pale greenish-blue ; under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries a shade brighter ; tail : central pair brown 

 washed green, rest with shafts and proximal three-quarters (half 

 on outer feathers) of inner webs black -brown, proximal portions of 

 outer webs deep blue and green, tips pale greenish-blue becoming 

 whitish on inner edge of inner webs, outermost pair with black 

 attenuated tips (underside of brown proximal portions of inner webs 

 deep purplish-blue) ; primaries brownish-black, 1st primary with 

 outer web deep greenish- or purplish -blue, 2nd and 3rd with bases 

 of outer webs same, rest of primaries with bases of outer webs pale 



The Roller (Coracias a. garrulus). Four outer tail-feathers of juvenile (left) and 

 adult (right). 



blue followed by a narrow deep purplish-blue band ; secondaries 

 as inner primaries but with rather more purplish -blue above the 

 pale blue bases, innermost feathers dark brown washed green, outer 

 webs and tips of two innermost chestnut-brown .and central portion 

 of outer web of next same (underside of secondaries and primaries 

 dark purplish-blue on inner webs); primary -co verts pale blue with 

 deep purplish-blue tips ; greater and median coverts pale greenish- 

 blue, innermost greater as innermost secondaries ; lesser coverts 

 deep purplish -blue. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 in Jan. -Mar. (occasionally April) . Winter. — A complete moult takes 

 place between July and Nov., but as some examples are still acquir- 

 ing winter body -feathers as late as Dec. and their wings and tails 

 are in moult it is difficult to say whether wings and tail always 

 moult twice though they are to be found in different stages of 

 moult in different individuals from July to March. Winter like 



