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In its habits the Indian Roller does not appear to differ from its European ally. Jerdon says 
that it “ frequents alike open jungles, groves, avenues, gardens, clumps of trees in the open country, 
and, except in thick forest, is to be found everywhere, and is sure to be met with about every village. 
It generally takes its perch on the top or outermost branch of some high tree, and, on spying an 
insect on the ground, which it can do at a very great distance, it flies direct to the spot, seizes it, and 
returns to its perch to swallow it. A favourite perch of the Roller is a bowrie pole or some leafless 
tree, whence it can see well all round; also old buildings, a haystack, or other elevated spot; 
sometimes a low bush or a heap of earth or of stones. When seated it puffs out the feathers of its 
head and neck. I have on several occasions seen one pursue an insect in the air for some distance, 
and when the winged termites issue from their nest after rain, the Roller, like almost every other bird, 
catches them on the wing. It flies in general with a slow but continued flapping of its wings, not 
unlike the Crow, but more buoyant, but it has the habit of making sudden darts in the air in all 
directions. Its food is chiefly large insects, grasshoppers, crickets, mantidee, and even beetles, occa¬ 
sionally a small field-mouse or shrew.” Colonel Legge, writing about its habits as observed by him in 
Ceylon, says that it is “ found in open compounds, cocoanut-groves, tobacco-fields, waste scrubby land, 
grass-fields near the borders of tanks, and also newly cleared spaces in the forest. It perches on some 
bare tree, fence, or other prominent object, and sallies out after insects, which it captures cleverly on 
the wing, either returning to its original post or taking up another close by to devour its quarry. It 
is fond of perching on cocoanut-fronds, and in the Jaffna district often selects the lofty well-whips 
used to draw the water for irrigating the native tobacco, and presents a striking appearance with its 
head drawn into its shoulders and its bright plumage glistening in the sun. It is generally difficult of 
approach, flying from one fence or stump to another before one can get within shot of it; and when 
fired at, if not hit, flies off, mounting above the tree-tops and rolling from side to side in its course as 
if it had a difiiculty in balancing itself on the wing. However much it is alarmed it generally returns 
to the field from Avhich it has been chased, making a wide detour and reappearing perhaps on the 
opposite end from that at which it left. When the ripe paddy has been cut in the fields round the 
village tanks the Roller is sure to be seen taking his part in the harvest-making, which consists in 
consuming as many of the newly-exposed terrestrial insects as it can, and flying in the meanwhile from 
one haycock to the other. Grasshoppers and beetles at such times form its chief diet. Its harsh cry 
is often uttered when it has been shot at and wounded, it being one of the few birds I have ever met 
possessed of this singular habit. Its flight is performed with vigorous flappings of the wings, the 
points of which appear almost to meet beneath its body, while it turns or rolls about in that strange 
manner which has acquired for it its peculiar name. It varies its course in the air by darting off 
sometimes at right angles to the original direction and then almost tumbling over in rapidly 
descending to the ground. These extraordinary evolutions it performs to some purpose when flov/n 
at by the Turumti, or Red-headed Merlin.” Mr. Holdsworth also remarks that when perched its head 
is sunk on its shoulders, giving the bird a remarkably clumsy appearance, as is also the case with the 
Bee-eaters when not on the wing. 
Dr. Jerdon says that this Roller “ is sacred to Siva who assumed its form ; and at the feast of the 
Dasserah, at Nagpore, one or more used to be liberated by the Rajah, amongst the firing of cannon 
and musketry at a grand parade attended by all the ofiicers of the station. Buchanan Hamilton also 
states that before the Durga Puja the Hindoos of Calcutta purchased one of these birds, and, at the 
time when they throw the image of Durga into the river, set the Nilkant (Roller) at liberty. It is 
considered propitious to see it on this day, and those who cannot afford to buy one discharge their 
matchlocks to put it on the wing. The Telugu name of this Roller signifying Milk-bird is given 
