136 BBITISH BUWS' NESTS. 



HOOPOE. 



' This bird has been known in past times to 

 breed in several parts of England, but the perse- 

 cution it underwent in King Solomon's time, when 

 tradition says that its handsome crest was made 

 of gold, has so increased, that a detailed description 

 of the bird, its habits, nest, eggs, etc., seems un- 

 necessary in a w^ork of this character. I fear a 

 breeding pair of birds are never again likely to 

 escape the lynx-eyed gunner in this country. 



JACKDAW. Aho Daw. 



Bescripiion of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 fourteen inches. Beak of medium length, strong, 

 nearly straight, and black. Irides greyish-white. 

 Crown black with a purple sheen ; nape and back 

 of neck leaden-grey. Back, wings, upper tail- 

 coverts, and tail black, glossed w^itli blue, violet, 

 and green. All the under-parts are dusky black. 

 Legs, toes, and claws black. 



The female is a trifle smaller than the male, 

 and the grey on the back of her neck is less 

 pronounced. 



Situation aitd Localitij. — Holes in cliffs, church 

 steeples, towers, old ruins, barns, and hollow trees, 

 pretty generally throughout the British Isles. Our 

 illustration is of a nest in the ventilation hole of 

 a stone barn. It w^as slightly drawn forward, and 

 light reflected upon it with a looking-glass, in 

 order to take the photograph. The largest colony 

 I have ever met with is near Armathwaite Castle, 

 in Cumberland. 



