EUROPEAN HOOPOE. 115 



sideration. Specimens from Senegal agree with 

 two others, reputed to be European, now before us, 

 in possessing that broad white band upon the pri- 

 mary quills, which is not seen in the Upupa capen- 

 sis. But there is, on the other hand, so much 

 difference in the intensity of colouring among dif- 

 ferent individuals of the U. epops, that we must 

 either conclude it is subject to considerable varia- 

 tion, or that there may possibly be two distinct 

 species still falling under that name. Do the sexes, 

 again, differ ? or does this diversity of colour ori- 

 ginate in age or climate ? These questions require 

 much investigation before the history of such a 

 well known bird can be rendered complete. 



We shall merely, in this place, state the chief 

 differences in the Senegal Hoopoe, leaving its 

 claims for specific distinction open to further in- 

 quiry. In size it is considerably less than that 

 which is found in Europe ; although the bills of 

 both are of the same length, the rufous, or cinna- 

 mon colour, is only bright upon the crest, in all 

 other parts of the plumage (where it occurs, as in 

 the European bird,) it is pale drab, or isabella co- 

 lour : the crest feathers are tipt with deep black ; 

 but (as in E. capensis) there is no white whatever 

 between the black and the rufous. The rest of the 

 plumage presents no conspicuous difference, except- 

 ing that the white bands on the lesser quills are 

 more confined in extent ; that is, they do not en- 

 croach so much upon the black. In the arrange- 



