THE HOOPOE 



Upupa epops 



Arabic, Hud Hud 



Head and crest rich rusty orange ; the tips of feathers of 

 crest black ; the neck and chest rufous changing to a pink 

 hue on breast ; wings and tail black with broad white parallel 

 bars ; under-parts buff to white ; legs brown ; beak black ; 

 eyes brown. Length, 12 inches. 



The hoop-hoop-hoop cry of this bird is almost 

 as curiously attractive as its varied plumage and 

 magnificent crest. You see it everywhere, and it 

 loves the haunts of man. It is not well to know 

 too much of one's heroes, and it certainly is well 

 not to know too much of the habits of some of the 

 wild children of the earth and air. The repulsive- 

 ness of the menu of the Hoopoe is enough to make 

 one put one's pen through its name and never 

 mention it. But it is not always feeding, and when 

 walking about in stately fashion on some mud wall, 

 lifting its great circular crown of feathers ever and 

 again, whilst it utters its call-name hoop-hoop- 

 hoopoe, it is so picturesque and charming one has 

 to pass its nasty little peculiarities by. We have 

 to do this frequently with our own unfeathered 



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