30 



THE ROLLER. 



grove of stone pines, vast in their dimensions, 

 and towering in their height. Here the harm- 

 less jackdaw nestles, here the hooded crow is 

 seen, here the starling breeds in numbers, and 

 here the roller, decked in all the brilliant 

 plumage of the tropics, comes to seek his daily 

 fare. But, as far as I could perceive, after two 

 seasons of observation, he does not make his 

 nest in the trees. Holes in lofty walls, and in 

 stately ruins, are the favourite places for his 

 nidification. The cradle plumage of his young 

 displays the metallic colours of after-life ; hence, 

 there is no perceptible difference in the appear- 

 ance of the adult male and female. After 

 passing the summer months in Europe, he 

 returns to Africa at the autumnal equinox. 



The aerial movements of this bird put one 

 in mind of our own rook, when in the act of 

 shooting downwards from on high. He rises 

 perpendicularly, and then descends in rapid zig- 

 zag evolutions, during which process, if you 

 get betwixt the sun and him, you have a mag- 

 nificent view of his lovely plumage. His voice 

 has something in it of the united notes of the 

 jay and magpie. 



Innovations in modern ornithology, so prolific 



