AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 249 



known summer resident, at all events in our southern 

 and, probably, in many of our midland counties. In 

 Northamptonshire we are acquainted with at least 

 three authentic occurrences of this bird, the earliest 

 in date having been kindly communicated by the 

 Rev. J. Holdich, of Bulwick Rectory, who, in a 

 letter to me dated February 25, 1876, writes as 

 follows : " Passing by coach through Denton, near 

 Whiston, April 19, 1845, I saw a beautiful specimen 

 of the Hoopoe which a man had just shot there; he 

 said he had been after it for some time, and would 

 not part with it." Mr. J. Hensman has informed me 

 that a Hoopoe in the Northampton Museum was shot 

 at Brixworth in August 1865 ; and the late Lady 

 Lyveden often told me of one of these birds seen by 

 her and Lord Lyveden whilst driving from Oundle to 

 Farming Woods. This bird was first seen by my 

 informant on the road, along which it continued to 

 take short flights for some distance as the carriage 

 approached, and it eventually turned off into a field 

 adjoining the said road in the neighbourhood of 

 Spring Wood. Lady Lyveden told me that she 

 again saw the Hoopoe about the spot on which it 

 was first met with on the afternoon of the same day, 

 which was in April ; of the year I regret to say that 

 I have no exact record, but Lady Lyveden's im- 

 pression was that it was either in 1866 or 1867. I 

 have a recollection of having been informed many 

 years ago by the late Ambrose Isted, Esq., that a 

 Hoopoe had been shot near Ecton, but I have no 

 note or particulars of this occurrence. This bird is 

 known as a summer visitor to most parts of Europe, 

 and is exceedingly common in Southern Spain, ar- 

 riving in March and, for the most part, disappearing 



