THE HOOPOE. 



PLATE XX. 



Class Aves. Order II. Passerinse. Genus Upupa* 

 This handsome bird, the Epops of the Ancient Greeks, 

 under which name it figures as a principal character, in 

 Aristophanes 1 play of "The Birds," Upiipa Gallo del Par- 

 adiso, Pubula, Bubola and Puppita of the Italians. Hu-pe, 

 Huppe and Putput of the French, ElAbubilla of the Span- 

 iards, Upupa Epops of Linnaeus, is generally an annual 

 though a rare visitant to the shores of America. We 

 most probably owe their visits to their periodical migra- 

 tions, when a few stragglers reach us. The bird is widely 

 spread over Europe in the summer months, and is abun- 

 dant in the South. Sweden is mentioned by some as its 

 northern limit, where the country people are said to consi- 

 der its appearance as ominous ; and in Great Britain it 

 was formerly looked upon by the same class as the har- 

 binger of some calamity. Montague relates that it is plen- 

 tiful in the Russian and Tartarian deserts ; and Sonnini 

 saw it on the banks of the Nile : Africa and Asia are sup- 

 posed to be its winter quarters. 



In a state of nature moist localities are the chosen 

 haunts of the hoopoe. There it may be seen on the 

 ground, busily searching with its long bill for its favorite 

 insects, (chiefly coleopterous) which it often finds in the 

 droppings of animals ; and sometimes it may be observed 

 hanging from the branches of trees, examining the under 

 side of the leaves for those which there lie hid. 



The hole of a decayed tree is the locality generally pre- 

 ferred for the nest, which is made of dried grass lined with 

 feathers, wool or other soft materials, and is generally very 

 fetid from the remains of the insects, &c., with which the 



