1 1:2 (lARDEX AND AVIARY IJIRDS. 



lias familiarized English readers with it in '' Westward 

 ilo ! " It seems that the Hoopoes had rendered a si«^nal 

 service to Kiiiu SoloiiKtn. who thereupon offered them a 

 icward. This th<'v ver\- Inolishly ehose to have in the 

 form of ii,()lden crowns ; but, on findini; they were perse- 

 cuted to the death for their unlucky jewelry, they came 

 to the kinii to ask him to take back his uift. He saved 

 his roval word l)y leaving them the crown, but chanuin^ 

 it to one of feathers, which thev have worn happily every- 

 where but in Enuland. where the " enthusiastic local 

 luituralist '" cares not a jot for Kin^ Solomon ! The 

 Hoopoe was forl)idihMi to the Jews as food, the word 

 translated '" Lapwinu "" in the Bible really meaiiinu; the 

 Hoopoe ; and when the ill-Havoured nest of the l)ird. and 

 the dirtv surroundinus anioni!, which it often seeks its 

 food are taken into consideration, the prohil)ition does 

 not seem unreasonable. 



THE SWIFTS. 



These birds are usually confounded with Sw.illows both 

 by Europeans and natives, and as they resemble them in 

 form, and in their habits of seeking their insect food 

 on the wing and resorting to buildings for nesting purposes, 

 the error is natural. l)ut examination of the anatomy 

 of the birds has shown that while the Swalh^vs are not to 

 be separated from the ordinary Passerine birds, the Swifts 

 present so many differences that they caniu)t be classed 

 in that order at all. 



Externally, Swifts may be distinguished from Swallows 

 bv the fact that thev have oidv ten tail feathers instead of 



