120 
common in Holland, in the northern parts of Ger- 
many, in Denmark, and as far north as Sweden. 
In the winter it retires to Asia, where it is also 
found as a permanent resident, and has been known 
to breed in the towns and villages of Egypt. A. 
few of these handsome birds generally visit Great 
Britain every year during their periodical migra- 
tions. The Hoopoe frequents low and moist situa- 
tions in the neighbourhood of woods and thickets, 
where it is generally seen upon the ground, engaged 
in hunting after the insects and worms on which 
it feeds. It may sometimes also be observed hang- 
ing from the branches of trees, im search of the 
insects that dwell chiefly on the underside of the 
foliage. It builds in the holes of decayed trees, 
but when these cannot be obtained, makes use of 
the crevices of walls and rocks. The nest, which 
is formed of dry grass, lined with feathers or other 
soft materials, generally contains four or five eggs, 
of a greyish white colour, spotted with brown. It 
becomes in a short time very fetid from the accu- 
mulation of the remains of the insects with which 
it feeds its young, and probably also from the drop- 
pings of the latter. ‘he author has one of these 
beautiful birds in his own collection, killed by 
himself in the New Forest a few years ago. 
