THE HOOPOE. 201 



number, are elongated, oval, and of a greenish-gray 

 colour. The young when first hatched are naked, 

 but soon get covered with small blue quills, from 

 which the feathers sprout. They are unable to 

 stand upright until nearly fledged, but crouch for- 

 ward, uttering a hissing noise. Their crests are 

 soon developed, but their bills do not acquire their 

 full length until the following year. 



The note of the Hoopoe is very remarkable, and 

 not to be mistaken for that of any other bird. It 

 sounds like the syllables " hoop-hoop," "hoop-hoop," 

 frequently repeated, and in the quality of its tone 

 approximates to the call of the Cuckoo, but the 

 second note is a repetition of the first, instead of 

 being, as in the case of the Cuckoo, a third below it. 



The average date of arrival of the Hoopoe in 

 England may be said to be the third week in April, 

 rhen the bird is more frequently met with in the 

 istern and south-eastern counties, although it 

 inders inland to a considerable distance. It is 

 igarded by Mr. R. Gray as a straggler to Scotland; 

 ind Thompson remarks that in Ireland it has 

 appeared occasionally in all quarters of the island. 



As autumn approaches, these birds, or such of 



