THE CULCULID.E. 



Gmus— HOOPOE. 



511 



Upupa Epops. (Linn). 



" How stately nods the hoopoe's crest, 

 The bird — a stranger at the best.'' 



This beautiful bird is about the size of the missel thrush. 

 It has a long crest of two rows of feathers, which it can erect at 

 will. Its plumage is a fine mingling of white, buff, and black. 

 It gets its name from its low, soft note of hoop, hoop, oft 

 repeated, others say from its crest, huppe. It is an African 

 bird, found in Europe as a summer visitant. It sometimes 

 breeds in Britain, but very rarely. I never saw it about St 

 Andrews. It makes its nest in holes of trees, of dry grass, 

 lined with feathers ; eggs, four or five, greyish-white, spotted 

 with brown. The crest feathers are 2 inches long, light red, 

 tipped with black ; the bill, 2 J inches long, and slender j the 

 female's crest is shorter ; the head and neck, forepart of the 

 back, and wing coverts, purplish-red ; middle of the back and 

 scapulars, black, with a broad band of pale red ; rump and 

 upper tail coverts, white. There are several species of this 

 beautiful genus, but this is the only one found in Britain — 

 sometimes as far north as Caithness. Therefore it may be 

 found in Fife, although I have not seen it, so here is another 

 rare summer visitor to search for in the woods. For its short 

 legs, sharp hooked claws, and long bill tell us it belongs to the 

 climbing family. The next genus is that of Cuculits, the 

 cuckoo, in 



Family IV. 



THE CULCULID^E. 



This is the fourth family of the Scansorial, or creeping tribe 

 of birds, restricted in Britain to one species, the common 

 cuckoo, in genus Cuculus — the name given by Linnaeus. _ Early 

 authors included several birds so far allied, but differing 



