R O L 
the gobius marinus, or fea-gudgeon. See Go- 
get. 
ROCK OUZEL. See Ring Ouzel and Am- 
2EL. 
ROCKLING. A provincial appellation for 
the three-bearded cod. See Cod. 
HOE-BUCK. An aninrial of the cervus kind, 
having ramofe, cylindric, and ereft horns. It is 
the fmalleft of the deer kind; and is well known 
in Germany and Scodand. Formerly it was 
pretty common in England; but the race is now 
extinft. 
The Roe-Buck is called a Hind the firft year; 
a Gryle the fecond; a Henufe the third; a Roe- 
Buck of the firil liead the fourth; and a fair Roe- 
Buck the fifth. 
ROLLER; the Coracias Garrula of Linnceus. 
A bird of the magpye kind; called alfo garrulus 
argentoratenfis, and cornix casrulea. It is com- 
mon in moft parts of Europe, but is feldom feen 
in England. It equals the jay in fize: the bill is 
black, ftraight, and hooked at the point; the bafe 
is befet with brifllcs; the fpace about the eyes is 
bare and naked; and behind each ear there is alfo 
another bare fpot or protuberance. The liead, 
neck, bread, and belly, are of a light blueilh 
green colour; the back, and feathers of the wings 
next to it, are of a reddilh brown; the covertr> on 
the ridges of the wings are of a rich blue ; beneath 
them, of a pale green ; the upper parts and tips of 
the quiii-feathers are dufky; the lower parts are 
of a fine deep blue; and the rump is of the fame 
colour. The tail confifts of twelve feathers, of 
which the extreme ones on each fide are confi- 
derably longer than the reft; the colour is a light 
blue tipt with black ; the middle feathers are of a 
dull green; and the legs, which are fhort, are of a 
dirty yellow hue. 
This bird is remarkable for it's chatterina: 
noife; whence it has received the appellation of 
garrulus. 
Roller, Indian Swallow-Tailed; the Co- 
racias Indica of Linnsus. This very beautiful 
bird has a pretty uraight black bill, with a few 
briftles or hairs at the bafis of the upper mandi- 
ble; the plumage which fjrrounds the root of the 
bill is white; the head, the fore-part of the neck, 
and the whole under fide to the lower ccvcrc- 
feathers of the tail, are of a blueifh fea-green co- 
lour; the hinder part of die neck, the upper half 
of the back, and Ibme of the quills next the back, 
are of a reddifh brown, flighdy variegated v/ith 
green on the neck and back ; the lower half of 
the back, and the coverts on the upper fide of the 
tail, are of an ultramarine blue, with tranfverfe 
lines of a darker tins-e; the two exterior feathers 
of the tail, which are five inches longer than the 
reft, are of a light fea-green colour, tipt with 
black; and the central feathers are of a darkilli 
green. The lefi^er coverts of the wings are of a 
fine blue colour ; thofe next above the quills are 
of a blueifti fea-green; and the greater quills, for 
upwards of half their length towards the bafe, are 
of a fine blue colour, which gradually changes 
into a dufky towards the tips. The legs are fiiort; 
and the toes are divided to their bottoms, and 
wholly covered with fcales of a reddifli flefti-co- 
lour. 
Roller is alfo a name by which feme orni- 
thologifts exprefs the am.pelis, or garrulus Bohe- 
micus. It is about the fize of a blackbird. The 
heacj is adorned with a little pointed pUnne of 
feathers, of a fine glofiy brov/n colour ; from the 
bafe of the bill, which is fhort, thick, and black, 
a black bar paffes to the hind part of the head 
over each eye; the neck is variegated with black, 
brown, and white; and the throat is black, with a 
fmall briftly tuft in the middle. The breaft is of 
a reddifti brown colour; the belly is grey; the 
back is of a chefnut brown hue; and the wing- 
feathers are variegated with black and grey. 
The diftinguiftiing charafteriftics of this bird, 
in which it differs from all others, are the horny 
appendages from the tips of feven of the fecon- 
dary feathers, refembling the fineft red v/ax. 
Thefe birds are efteemcd peculiar to Bohemia, 
being feldom found in any other country. How- 
ever, they annually appear about Edinburgh in 
the month of February, where they feed on the 
berries of the movintain-afli. They were once re- 
garded as prediftive of peftilences. They are 
eafily tamed ; and their flefti is reckoned very de- 
licious, 
ROOK. A well known bird of the crov/ kind; 
theCorvus Frugilegus of Linnjeus. 
With refpeft to fnape, the Rook difix-rs litde 
from the carrion crow, but is fomewhat larger: 
the colours in each are the fame, the plumage of 
both being glofiied with a rich purple. The 
principal diftin61ion between the tvv'o fpecies is 
found in the bill of the Rook, which, by beino- 
frequently thruft into the ground in fearch of 
grubs and earth-worms, is bare of feathers as far 
as the eyes, and appears of a whitifti colour: this 
difcrimination is the more neceifary to be pointed 
out, as the Rook has but too frequently fuiFered 
on account of it's fimilitude to the crow; and 
thus a harmlefs bird, that has no carnivorous ap- 
petites, and feeds only on corn and infefts, has 
been deftroyed for another that feeds on carrion, 
and frequently makes great havock among-ft 
young poultry. The Rook, inftead of being pro- 
fcribed, fnouid be treated as the farmer's friend, 
as it deftroys caterpillars, which would otherwife 
do incredible damaage, by confuming the roots of 
the corn. 
Rooks are fociable birds, afi^embling in vaft 
flocks. They generally build their nefts in woods 
and forefts; but fometimes make choice of groves 
fituated in the centre of large towns or cities, for 
their retreats and places of fecurity : and not many 
years ago thefe birds formed a kind of colony 
among the lofty trees in the Middle Temple, 
London, where they palTed as inoffenfive a life as 
the other inhabitants of the fame place of the 
black robe. In thefe aerial abodes, they efta- 
blifti a kind of kgal conftitution; and exclude all 
intruders, none being fuffered to build among 
them but acknowledged natives of the place. 
At the commencement of fpring the Rooks 
begin to build their nefts ; and one of them brings 
materials, while the other watches the building, 
left it fhouid be plundered by it's brethren. All 
the old inhabitants, however, are already provided 
with nefts ; thofe which ferved them in former 
years requiring only a little trimming and drefliing 
to render them equally commodious with new 
habitations. The young Rooks indeed are un- 
provided with nefts, and obliged to build them to 
the beft of their abilities. On this occafion the 
male and female pafs feveral days in attentively 
examining each tree of the grove, before they fi}? 
on a branch fuitable to their purpofe. The fitu- 
ation being pitched on, they begin to collect ma- 
terials 
