HOOPOE. - 283 



it is especially partial to coprophagous beetles and their larvae ; 

 for these it frequents manure heaps and animal droppings, 

 digging for its prey with its long bill. Large beetles and 

 worms are hammered to bits, beaten on the ground, but 

 frequently it adopts a habit of the Hornbill, with which it has 

 some affinity, of throwing its food into the air and catching it 

 neatly before swallowing it. It has various notes. The hoop^ 

 hoop, from which it gets its name, is uttered when perched with 

 crest depressed, throat expanded and head lowered. Swinhoe 

 stated that the air was forced out by striking the bill on the 

 ground, but the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain was not able to confirm 

 this. The hoop is guttural and carries for a great distance. 

 Col. Cunningham speaks of a soft uk, zik, uk note when the 

 bird is walking with depressed crest, and Saunders of a love- 

 note, bu^ bu, when with erected crown the bird struts before 

 its mate. Mr. Jourdain mentions a chatter of alarm, a warning 

 to the nesting female, and a cat-like call. 



Although showing little alarm at the presence of human 

 beings, the Hoopoe is suspicious of a passing hawk, crow or 

 other possible enemy, and at once assumes a protective attitude 

 which, in the open, is said to make the bird look like a bundle 

 of rags. A wounded young bird which was brought to me 

 accidentally fell off a table and at once threw itself into this 

 defensive position ; it spread its wings, expanded and slightly 

 raised its tail, drew back its head until it rested on its back, and 

 pointed the bill straight upward. The result, though the black 

 and white pattern was sharp enough on a carpet, was distinctly 

 unavian. Whilst I was striving to feed this bird the crest was 

 depressed, but when it was dying in my hand the feathers were 

 slowly raised and it died with fully expanded crown. On 

 several occasions Hoopoes have wintered in England ; one 

 bird which for some time frequented a large garden, used to 

 hunt for insects amongst the wind-fall branches under a group 

 of trees. 



