The ROLLERS (Coracii) are a race of tolerably large birds, for the most part remarkable on account of the variety of their colours, and the splendour of their plumage. All of them belong to the Eastern Hemisphere. As the leading features whereby this group is distinguished, we may enumerate their moderate-sized, or moderately long beak, which is strong and nearly straight, somewhat broad at its base, but compressed towards the tip, sharp-cutting at the edges, and bent down at the point; the legs are short and feeble, and the toes short. The wings are of moderate length, or long and tolerably broad. The tail is of medium length, sometimes truncate at its extremity, sometimes slightly rounded, and sometimes forked; occasionally, moreover, the two outer feathers are much longer than the rest. The plumage is somewhat harsh and rough, and the shafts of the feathers stiff. The predominant colours are green, blue, cinnamon-brown, and claret-red. The sexes differ but little, and the young very much resemble their parents.
THE AUSTRALIAN BEE-EATER (Cosmäerops ornatus).
These birds generally inhabit dry, flat country, and are met with extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, but are scarce in Australia. Their usual residence is some solitary tree or high rock from which they can command an extensive field of vision, and in the holes and clefts of which they can build their nests. In such places they may generally be seen on the look-out for insects, which they catch and devour much in the same way as the Bee-eaters; at times they will dart down upon some poor mouse that happens to approach them too nearly, and occasionally they will snap up a lizard or other small game of that description, and will plunder a bird's nest in order to devour the young; but although they thus generally live on animal food, at certain seasons they have no objection to a vegetable diet, and will eat fruit. The flesh of some species is palatable, and they are consequently much sought after in some countries, either as food or on account of the beauty of their feathers.
THE BLUE ROLLER.
The BLUE ROLLER (Coracias garrulus), a species exhibiting the principal characteristics of the above family, has a strong, straight beak of moderate size, broad at its base, slightly curved at the culmen, and hooked at its tip; the tarsus is shorter than the middle toe, the second wing-quill is longer than the rest, and the tail straight at its extremity. A brilliant metallic green predominates in the magnificently-coloured plumage; the back is bright cinnamon-brown, the brow and chin are whitish, the quills are indigo blue above and ultramarine blue beneath, the feathers on the small wing-covers and wings are deep bright blue, the exterior tail-feathers light blue, the rest blueish black, with a light blue outer web. The centre feathers are blueish or greyish green. The eye is brown, the beak black, and the foot dirty yellow. The young are greyish green on the top of the head, nape, and under side, and dull cinnamon-brown on the back; their tail is light blueish green. This species is from twelve to thirteen inches long, and from twenty-seven to twenty-eight broad; the wing measures seven inches and three-quarters, and the tail five inches.
THE BLUE ROLLER (Coracias garrulus).
The Blue Roller inhabits the whole of Europe as far north as Scandinavia, and visits the northern half of the continent of Africa, as also many parts of India during its migrations. In our own country it seems studiously to avoid the vicinity of man; but in more southern regions it is less shy, and consequently more easily made the subject of observation. In its disposition it is exceedingly restless and flighty, and when not restricted, as it is during the brooding season, to a particular locality, it may be seen flying all over the district, sweeping all day long from one tree to another, or perching upon the extremity of some withered bough, or peering out from the very top of a dead tree watching for the approach of prey. In cloudy weather it seems morose and inactive; but during the sunshine it may be seen disporting itself in the air as though in play, ranging round and round, and performing a variety of strange evolutions. Sometimes, for example, it will rise to a considerable height, and then suddenly tumble head over heels down towards the ground, whence it again mounts with toilsome efforts, or, with pigeon-like flight, urges itself forward by rapidly-repeated strokes of its wings, and as it thus moves about with apparently aimless haste, presents a peculiarity of manner that there is no possibility of mistaking. When in a tree, it does not hop about among the branches, but conducts itself in the same way as many other tenuirostral species, always assisting its movements from one bough to another by the help of its wings. It can scarcely be said ever to come upon the ground, but sometimes flies so close to the earth that it might easily be supposed to be running over its surface. Unlike the Bee-eaters, these birds are very quarrelsome and unsociable, biting at any intruder, even of their own species, and quite incapable of living peaceably with any other kind. Their voice corresponds well with their German name of Rake, consisting of a loud, rattling repetition of "raker, raker, raker"—a cry occasionally exchanged for "rak, rak, jack."