190 GLIMPSES OF INDIAN BIRDS 



observed more than two young hoopoes emerge from 

 a nest, and on several occasions I have noticed that 

 only one issued forth. 



As concrete instances are more interesting than 

 generalities I propose in what follows to give an account 

 of the nesting operations of a pair of hoopoes that 

 recently reared up a youngster in a chink in the wall 

 of my verandah at Fyzabad between a wooden rafter 

 and the brickwork. The cavity in question was so 

 situated that I could see its orifice as I sat at my 

 dressing table. I noticed for the first time a hoopoe 

 bringing food to the nest on the 17th March. The 

 food brought appeared to consist chiefly of caterpillars. 

 Whenever the bird arrived at the nest it uttered a soft, 

 pretty, tremulous coo-coo-coo. This was to inform its 

 mate that it had come. 



The hen hoopoe is said not to leave the nest from 

 the time she begins to incubate until the young emerge 

 from the eggs. This statement is, I beheve, correct. 

 It is not one that can be very easily verified because 

 the sexes are alike in outward appearance. Certain 

 it is that the hen sits very closely and the cock con- 

 tinually brings food to her. 



As soon as the young are hatched out the hen leaves 

 the nest and assists the cock in finding food for the 

 baby hoopoes. I cannot say on what day the particular 

 hen whose doings are here recorded left the nest. April 

 9th was the first date on which I noticed both birds 

 feeding the young. At that period the parents were 

 bringing food faster than the occupant of the nest 

 could dispose of it, and one or other of them had often 



