| OCR Text |
Show 1890.] CORACIID.E OF THE INDIAN REGION. 549 greenish white; throat streaked with lilac-blue ; abdomen and under tail-coverts light cobalt; thighs purplish blue. " Bill dark brownish black; mouth yellow ; edges of the eyelids, lores, and skin at the back of the eye yellowish orange; iris brown; legs yellowish brown ; claws black" (Oates). Length about 12 inches, tail 4-7, wing 7'6, tarsus 1, bill from gape 1-75. Distribution. From Nepal to Darjiling and Bhutan, thence throughout Assam and Cachar as far west as Dacca and the neighbourhood of Calcutta. It is spread all over Burma and Tenasserim, except in the extreme south, and ranges eastwards to Siam and Cochin China. Specimens in the H u m e Collection from Nepal (J. Scully), Native and British Sikhim (L. Mandelli), Tippera, and Calcutta are apparently hybrids between the present species and Coracias indica, and belong to the intermediate form which I call Coracias indica affinis. Habits, <Sfc. Similar to those of C. indica. Mr. Oates has found the bird breeding in Pegu in March and April. The eggs are glossy white, four or five in number, laid on the bare wood at the bottom of large natural hollows in decayed branches of large trees. The average of twelve eggs was 1'37 inch by 1-09. 3. CORACIAS GARRULA. The Common Roller. Coracias garrula, Linn. S. N. i. p. 159 (1766); Horsf. & M . Cat. ii. p. 570 (1856); Hume, N. & E. p. 104 (1813); Hume, Cat. no. 125; Bidd. Ibis, 1881, p. 48 ; Scully, t. c. p. 429 ; C. Swinh. Ibis, 1882, p. 102. Coloration. Upper surface light cinnamon, including the scapulars and inner secondaries; lower back and rump dark ultramarine ; upper tail-coverts greenish blue washed with ultramarine; wing-coverts round the bend of the wing ultramarine; rest of the coverts greenish blue, as well as the base of the quills; bastard-wing green, blue at the end ; primary-coverts greenish blue with a dark blue tip; remainder of quills black; two centre tail-feathers dull greenish; remainder of the feathers dark blue, externally green and internally black, all the feathers light silvery blue near the ends, the outermost with a black terminal spot; crown, sides of head, and under surface of body pale greenish blue, the base of the forehead and the chin white; the throat and chest as well as the sides of the face streaked with silvery green. Young birds are much duller in colour than the adults, and have the breast pervaded with a brown shade. Although no difference can be found between adult Rollers from Europe and those from Cashmere, the young specimens from the latter locality and N.W. India are generally much paler than European birds of similar age. Distribution. The European Roller extends from Southern and Central Europe through Persia to Afghanistan, where it breeds, as well as in Cashmere. In the autumn it visits various parts of North-western India, occurring regularly in the vicinity of Simla, and specimens are in the H u m e Collection from Masuri and Gurhwal. PROC ZOOL. Soc-1890, No. XXXVII. 37 |
