summer visiter to Sweden, arriving in May with the Cuckoo ;
it breeds there in hollow trees, and departs in September ; it
is seen also in the southern, provinces of Russia. In some
parts of Germany it is not uncommon ; but according to M.
Temminck, never visits Holland : it is rather rare in France ;
is found in Provence, and has been taken at Gibraltar. It"
inhabits;_North Africa from Morocco to Egypt. Adanson
saw flocks at Senegal, and supposed they passed the winter
there ; and Dr. Andrew Smith .includes it in his Catalogue of
the Birds of South Africa. In Italy during autumn young
birds of the year are not uncommon, generally frequenting
gardens. In Malta and Sicily they are. commonly exposed
for sale in the markets. In the Morea, these birds being
very fat m autumn, are „spught after as. a choice article of
food. I t has been remarked* by a traveller in Asia Minor,
that “ The Roller was most common' throughout the South
and west parts of the country, wherever the Magpie, was not
found ; and was not Seen in the same district with, that bird.
The Roller was observed to fall through the air likë.a Turn-
b!er Pigeon.” It has been taken at Aleppo. The Zoological
Society have received specimens from Treb%pnd and
Erzerum ; and a Russian, naturalist has found that it visits
the countries lying between the Black and the Caspian Seas.-
M. Temminck includés it among the Birds of Japan.-
The beak is black; the irides reddish brown ; behind the
eye a triangular naked spot; head, neck, and wing-coverts,
greenish blue,'approaching in richness to verdi ter blue ; back,
scapularies, and,, tertials, yellowish brown; shoulders and
rump China blue; upper tail-coverts Berlin blue ;’ the two
middle tail-feathers blackish green; the others, for two-thirds
of their length, bluish green, the shafts black ; the outer
feather on each side tipped with black ; the primary and
secondary quill-feathers verditer blue at the base, the rest
* Annals of Nat. Hist. Nov. 1839, page 213.
dark bluish black; chin greyish white; throat verditer; all
the under surface of the body, and the under wing-coverts,
pale bluish green ; under surface of primaries and secondaries
rich Berlin b lu e ; under surface of the tail-feathers Berlin
blue: for two-thirds of their length, then tipped with greyish
blue; the outer elongated tail-feather on each side almost
I wholly blue, but tipped with dark blue ; these longer outside
tail-feathers. distinguish the male b ird : the legs and toes
yellowish brown ; the claws black.
The whole length of the bird thirteen inches. From the
carpal joint to the .end of the wing eight .inches ; the first
quill-feather rather longer than the (.fourth; the second rather
longer than the third, and the longest in the wing.
Adult females do not differ from males in colour.
Young birds. do not attain to brilliant colours till their
second year, previous. to which they are dull brown above,
and-greyish green underneath. .•
Beneath are representations. >of the breast-bone of the
Roller in- two different points of view.
n