ROLLER, OR DOLLAR BIRD. 
Mr. J, P. Rogers, when at Parry’s Creek, North-west Australia, once wit- 
nessed a fight, and his description seems worth recording : ‘ Two of these birds 
were fightuig, and a third looking on. There appeared to be two males fighting 
for a female. The fighters did not chase each other, but when one settled 
on a tree the other flew at it, laid hold of it with its bill and pulled it off its 
perch. (There was no sparrmg for a hold, just a ‘ head down ’ rush in.) Both 
birds would then fall to the ground, still holding on to each other, with wings 
rigidly expanded and tail opened ; these acted as a parachute, and they fell 
gently to the ground spinning round and round and keeping a perfect balance 
as they fell. On reaching the ground they seemed to fight on for a few seconds 
and would then fly up into a tree ; this was done many times, the birds keeping 
up an incessant chattering during the fight. Eventually one flew away, and 
the other two settled down on a fimb side by side.” 
H. L. White pubhshed McLennan’s notes in the Emu (Vol. XVI., p. 219, 
1917) as follows : “ King River — Fairly numerous on the flats tfil after the 
first rains. 25/12/15. Nest containing two small young, examined. Roper 
River, 19/2/16. Couple of birds noted. Stomach, remains of insects and 
wasp.” 
In the Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum, Vol. XVII, Sharpe 
recognised Eurystomus australis as a distinct species from E. orientalis, 
writing : “ Similar to E. orientalis, but everywhere paler, especially on the 
upper-surface, which is brownish on the mantle and back, slightly washed 
with green ; the under-surface of the body also is much greener ; the outer 
webs of the tail-feathers blue nearly to the ends.” As habitat he gave : 
“ Australia, occasionally reaching to New Zealand. Throughout the Moluccas 
to Celebes”; and then added: “Intermediate specimens between Eurystomus 
orientalis and E. australis ” from Negros, Philippines, and Ayala, Mindanao. 
Working with birds from the islands north of Australia, Hartert relegated 
australis to subspecific rank in connection with orientalis. 
This seemed natural, and when I prepared my “Reference List” {Nov. 
Zool., Vol. XVIII., 1912) I accepted this rank, but also added (p. 285) — 
^''Eurystomus orientalis hravi. 
Differs from E. o. pacificus in being paler below. 
North-west Australia.” 
In my “ List,” 1913, pp. 144/5, I maintained these two subspecies, but 
I do not here recognise them. I have examined long series of these birds, 
and so much variation is apparent that I camiot delimit the subspecies. All 
the characters mentioned by Sharpe are variable, and that worker wrote : 
“ Adult female. Similar to the male in colour.” I find that the female is 
much duller and paler throughout, and this, in conjunction with the migratory 
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