HOOPOES AT THE NESTING SEASON 189 



mean decay, there is invariably fungus on those stems. 

 And how wonderfully the hoopoe's white copies them, 

 and how wonderfully the black represents shadows ; 

 and then again, in addition to colouration, is a crest 

 to help break the outline." 



For the benefit of those who have not visited India 

 I may state that in the greater part of the plains the 

 trunks of old trees are not covered with fungus. 

 Practically every hoopoe nests in a place completely 

 hidden from the outer world. If the hen hoopoe were 

 coloured with all the colours of the spectrum she 

 would while sitting on her eggs be invisible from the 

 outer world. It is sad to think that people exist who 

 can bring themselves to write such nonsense as Mr. 

 Oyler has inflicted on the readers of the Fortnightly 

 Review. 



It is said that a pair of hoopoes uses the same nest 

 year after year. I have not been able to verify this 

 statement owing to the demands on my peripatetic 

 capacity made by the exigencies of the public service. 



The eggs of the hoopoe are elongated ovals of a dirty 

 white colour ; euphemists describe them as dingy 

 olive-brown or green, while euphuists portray them 

 as having a delicate greyish blue tint. They are 

 devoid of markings. 



The clutch is said to contain from four to seven 

 eggs. This is another assertion which I have never 

 attempted to verify, because in order to reach the 

 eggs of the hoopoe one has usually to pull down part 

 of a wall or other edifice and at the same time wreck 

 the nest. However, I can say that I have never 



