OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



The well-known American " Whip-Poor-Will " is a 

 bird allied to this species. 



HOOPOE. 



Upupa epops ; Huppe vulgaire ; Wiedekopf. 



I do not intend to describe this beautiful bird ; let 

 the illustration speak for itself. It was taken from a 

 specimen in my possession, which was forwarded to me 

 from Dunmore East, County Waterford, by a lady, some 

 years ago. While walking with a friend near Creden 

 Head, they observed a beautiful but unknown bird, 

 which after some time disappeared. 



Within the next two or three days another bird of the 

 same species alighted on a fishing-boat near the tower 

 of Hook, at the entrance of Waterford Harbour. It 

 seemed in an exhausted condition, and died after a 

 short time. It was given by the fishermen to my kind 

 friend, who afterwards forwarded it to me. 



Mr. Ussher says that the Hoopoe occurs in most 

 places near the coasts of Wexford, Waterford, and Cork, 

 and he enumerates 117 instances of its occurrence 

 between the years 1888 and 1894, at the times of 

 spring or autumn migration. 



I have only twice seen this beautiful bird alive at 

 Royat and Gergovia, in Auvergne, where first my atten- 

 tion was drawn to it by my friend and pupil, George 

 Philip Farran. The birds seen on that day carried their 

 crests folded, almost like a pen behind a man's ear, and, 

 to my mind, looked even more lovely than with the 

 crests erect. 



