324 
THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
The Blue-bird ( Sialia sialis) , so common everywhere in North America, 
and welcomed as the harbinger of spring, while not a burrower, builds its nest 
in the hollow of a stump or limb, or- will drive away the marten, and take up 
its domicile in a cote. Every person holds the blue-bird in their affections, 
because of its azure plumage and soft, wooing notes, regardless of its rather 
vicious habits of making war on other birds. 
The Rollers ( Coracias garrula ) is a term applied to a family of European 
birds, found also in northern Africa, because of their curious “ tumbling ” 
motions when ascending, in which respect they resemble the “ tumbling ” 
pigeons, except that the latter assumes this singular motion while descending, 
and the former only when ascending. The roller nearly equals the raven in 
size, and possesses an equally discordant voice, which it almost incessantly 
exercises ; the plumage, however, is very pleasing. It is very irregular in its 
nesting habits, sometimes building 
in the hollows of trees, sometimes 
upon the bare ground, and, again, 
tunnelling deeply into a sandbank, 
after the manner of the kingfisher. 
The Bell-bird (A rap ung a 
alba), of Guiana, is one of the 
most singular of the feathered tribe, 
not only in one, but several par¬ 
ticulars. The color is a pure 
white, and the size and structure 
that of a pigeon, but in habits it 
is without example. The most 
curious features that distinguish it 
are its notes, crest and nesting 
habits. Its haunts are among the 
darkest coverts of South American 
forests, and usually about damp 
and most forbidding places, where 
it remains nearly always on the 
ground, hunting insects that are 
found most numerous about sedgy 
banks. For this reason, notwithstanding its conspicuous color, the bell-bird is 
rarely seen. It may be distinguished, however, at some distance, by the curious 
horn-like structure which grows from its forehead, and rises to a height of some 
three inches when elevated. This “ horn ” is jetty black in color, sprinkled 
very sparingly with little tufts of snowy-white down, and, as it has a commu¬ 
nication with the palate, has probably something to do with the bell-like sound 
of the voice. The song or cry of this species has been admirably described 
by Waterton, in his well-known “ Wanderings in South America.” 
“ His note is loud and clear, like the sound of a bell, and may be heard 
at the distance of three miles. In the midst of these extensive wilds, gener¬ 
ally on the dried top of an aged mora, almost out of your reach, you see the 
campanero, or bell-bird. No sound or song from any of the winged inhabitants 
of the forest, not even the clearly-pronounced ‘ Whip-poor- Will! ’ from the 
goat-sucker, causes such astonishment as the toll of this species. 
BEW.-BIRD. 
