THE HOOPOE. 121 



the Eagle's crest, stepped out, and flying a few inches 

 higher, chirped as loudly as she could 



Birds, look up, and behold your king, 

 Great of soul, though a tiny thing. 



THE HOOPOE ( Upupa Epops). This is the only European 

 species of the genus Upupa, and in this country it is but 

 an occasional or accidental visitant, although specimens 

 have been taken in nearly all parts of England, as well as 

 in several districts of Scotland. It is a most elegant bird, 

 about as large as a Missel Thrush, than which, however, it 

 has a more slender form. The bill is extremely long, and 

 the legs very short, adapted for perching rather than walk- 

 ing. It has a handsome crest upon the head, composed of 

 a double row of long plumes, which can be erected at 

 pleasure. They are of a rich warm buff colour, and have 

 at the end a patch of white, tipped with velvet black; 

 pale brown and buff, shaded and marked with black, 

 patched and banded with white, are the prevailing tints of 

 the plumage, which on the whole is remarkably handsome 

 and striking, so that no one who has once seen the 

 bird can forget, or mistake it for any other. The Hoopoe, 

 which is a summer visitant from North Africa, seldom 

 comes into this country until the breeding season is over, 

 yet instances are on record of its having bred here. Thus 

 Montagu mentions that a pair in Hampshire left a nest 

 they had begun; and Jesse, in the third volume of his 

 ' Gleanings,' says : * Some years ago, a pair of Hoopoes 

 built their nest, and hatched their young, in a tree, close to 

 the house at Park End, near Chichester.' Gilbert White 

 also relates : * The most unusual birds I ever observed in 

 these parts were a pair of Hoopoes, which came several 

 years ago in the summer, and frequented an ornamental 

 piece of ground which joins to my garden, for several 

 weeks. They used to march about in a stately manner, 

 feeding on the walks, many times a day, and seemed dis- 

 posed to breed in my outlet, but were frightened and 

 persecuted by idle boys, who would never let them be at 

 rest.' 



