28 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



summer but crown and nape dull brownish -green ; mantle and 

 scapulars duller brown not so chestnut ; throat and upper-breast 

 duller with a mixture of greenish -brown especially on breast ; 

 some median and greater coverts tipped brownish. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Much like winter adult but crown and nape still 

 duller and more brownish -green ; back and rump paler and duller ; 

 throat, breast, ear -coverts and sides of neck brownish tinged green, 

 feathers with whitish shaft-streaks ; tail duller, central feathers 

 browner and rest with brownish tips, outermost pair short and 

 without black attenuated tip ; wing -feathers with very narrow 

 pale brown tips ; primary-coverts without deep purplish-blue tips ; 

 greater and median coverts duller ; lesser coverts not so purplish. 



First winter. — Like adult winter except for tail- and wing- 

 feathers and primary-coverts which are as juvenile. The juvenile 

 body-feathers and wing-coverts are moulted Nov.-Dec. but not 

 primaries, secondaries, tail and primary-coverts. Summer.— A 

 complete moult (including wings and tail) takes place Jan -April 

 after which bird is like adult except that primary-coverts have no 

 purplish-blue tips and feathers of back and rump are frequently 

 tipped green. 



Measurements and structure. — <J wing 193-205 mm., tail 112- 

 128, outermost feather 110-130, tarsus 23-24, bill from skull 36-41 

 (12 measured). $ wing 183-205. Primaries : 2nd longest, 1st 

 4-8 mm. shorter, 3rd 1-5 shorter (rarely equals 2nd), 4th 10-13 

 shorter, 5th 22-27 shorter ; 2nd to 5th emarginated outer webs. 

 Secondaries : outer feathers rather shorter than 10th primary, 

 inner feathers about equal to 6th primary, tips rounded. Tail 

 rounded except for outermost pair which are usually as long as and 

 sometimes slightly longer than central, 12 feathers, tips rounded 

 except for outermost pair which have inner web sharply attenuated 

 for 10-15 mm. at tip. In juvenile outermost pair are about 20 mm. 

 shorter than rest and their tips are rounded as in other feathers. 

 Bill strong, compressed, slightly hooked at tip (see fig., vol. 1, p. 5). 

 Nostrils slit-like and bare, but close to fore-head feathers. Some 

 strong rictal bristles. 



Soft parts. — Bill brownish -black ; legs and feet yellowish ; 

 iris pale brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — C. g. semenowi (Persia, Kashmir, 

 Turkestan) is paler, and averages slightly larger. C. benghalensis 

 (India) has more brilliant deep and pale blue wings and tail, mauve 

 throat and breast and other differences. Coloration easily dis- 

 tinguishes Roller from other British birds. 



Field -characters. — At a distance is somewhat Corvine in appear- 

 ance, but very striking contrasts of azure-blue head, tail and under- 

 parts, brown back and blue and black wings are soon apparent. 



