224 



THE HOOrOE. 



it first batters and moulds into an oblong mass, and then swallowa 

 Kith a peculiar jerk of the head. In Yarrell's British Birds, there la 

 a very interesting account of a tame Hoopoe in the possession of Mr. 

 Bartlett. 



In France Hoopoes are very common, and may be seen examining 

 old and rotten stumps for the insects that invariably congregate in 

 such places. There they may be seen in flocks, 

 but they never seem to go over to England 

 in greater numbers than one pair at a tinie. 

 M. Bechstein gives a curious account of the 

 attitude assumed by the Hoopoe on perceiving 

 a large bird in the air. " As soon as they 

 perceived a Raven or even a Pigeon, they 

 were on their bellies in the twinkling of an 

 eye, their wings stretched out by the side of 

 the head so that the large quill feathers 



HOOPOE ^ ^ 



touched the head, leaning on the back with 

 the bill pointing upwards. In this curious posture they might be 

 taken for an old rag !" 



These birds of which he is speaking are two young Hoopoes whom 



he had taken from the 

 nest and was rearing. 

 They lived for some 

 time, but both died of 

 civilization. The fe- 

 male had a habit of 

 dragging her food about 

 the floor, so tliat it 

 became covered with 

 rubbish. 



This formed a hard 

 mass nearly the size of 

 an ordinary nut in the 

 bird's stomach, some- 

 thing like the balls of 

 hair found in the 

 stomach' of a cow, and 

 soon killed the poor 

 Hoopoe. The male bird 

 lived through the win- 

 ter, but becoming 

 attached to the warmth 

 of the stove, its beak 

 became so unnaturally 

 dry, that the two m.m* 

 diblea separated from each other and curved outwards, havino- an 

 interval of nearly an inch between their tips. The bird of course 

 boon ((ied of absolute starvation. 



Tb»i Hoopoe lays from four to seven grey eggs in the hollow of a 

 tree. !'■.« lenfrth is one foot. 



