THE HOOPOE 443 



sw;i I!.. \\nl air. AN there is no connection between the cesophagus 

 and the trachea, and apparently no organ at the entrance to the 

 former which could modify sound, it becomes difficult to sec what 

 share the swallow <! ;iir has in the production of the notes. Probably, 

 however, the dilated oesophagus serves as a chamber of resonance, as 

 in the case of the air-tilled crops of pigeons while cooing. Personally, 

 I have not been able to detect the hammering on the ground of 

 which Swinhoe speaks, perhaps because the birds I have seen calling 

 have been generally perched on branches of trees, and Swinhoe 

 distinctly says that when perched on a rope it only jerks out the call 

 with nods of the head, producing a modified note, which he writes as 

 " hoh-/toh-/,oh, n 



Although popularly believed to be an exceedingly timid bird, 

 Mr. P. J. M'Gregor says that he has seen a hoopoe attack a stork 

 which had ventured near its nesting-place. It has a curious habit 

 of suddenly flattening itself out on the ground with outspread wings, 

 and tail and beak pointing upwards. This attitude is assumed 

 when some bird of prey is parsing over, and on sandy and rocky 

 ground is extraordinarily protective, the colours harmonising well 

 with its surroundings. On two occasions in Holland Mr. J. O. 

 Keulemans noticed that birds which he had surprised adopted this 

 position and at once became practically invisible. 1 Bechstein com- 

 pares the general effect to that of an old particoloured rag lying 

 on the ground. 



Young hoopoes when first hatched are quaint-looking little 

 creatures, with quite short bills, and naked, although they soon 

 become covered with small blue quills. They make a hissing noise, 

 and Swinhoe notes that they crouch forward and do not stand upright 

 till nearly fledged. Dr. Clark remarks of the young which were 

 reared in Cornwall, that when first hatched the beaks were not at all 

 conspicuous, though their gape was enormous. "The crest quills 



See the Field, July 5, 1002, where this attitude la illustrated by a sketch by Mr. P. W. 

 Frohawk. 



VOL. ii. SL 



