THE HOOPOE. 169 



giving them food from a pan of milk, the cream of which 

 they swallowed greedily ; they climbed higher and higher, 

 till at last they perched on my shoulders, and sometimes on 

 my head, caressing me very affectionately : notwithstand- 

 ing this, I had only to speak a word to rid myself of their 

 company ; they would then immediately retire to the stove* 

 Generally they would observe my eyes to discover what 

 my temper might be, that they might act accordingly. I 

 fed them like the nightingales, or with the universal paste, 

 to which I sometimes added insects ; they would never 

 touch earth-worms, but were very fond of beetles and 

 may-bugs ; these they first killed, and then beat them with 

 their beak into a kind of oblong ball ; when this was done, 

 they threw it into the air, that they might catch it and 

 swallow it lengthways ; if it fell across the throat, they were 

 obliged to begin again. Instead of bathing, they roll in the 

 sand. I took them one day into a neighboring field, that 

 they might catch insects for themselves, and had then an 

 opportunity of remarking their innate fear of birds of prey, 

 and their instinct under it. As soon as they perceived a 

 raven, or even a pigeon, they were on their bellies in a 

 twinkling of an eye, their wings stretched out by the side 

 of their head, so that the large quill feathers touched; 

 they were thus surrounded by a sort of crown, formed by 

 the feathers of the tail and wings, the head leaning on the 

 back, with the beak pointing upwards ; in this curious 

 posture they might be taken for an old rag. As soon as 

 the bird which frightened them was gone, they jumped up 

 immediately, uttering cries of joy. They were very fond 

 of lying in the sun ; they showed their content by repeat- 

 ing in quivering tones, * vec, vec, vec ;' when angry, their 

 notes are harsh, and the male, which is known by its color 

 being redder, cries * hoop, hoop.' The female had the 

 trick of dragging its food about the room, by this means 

 it was covered with small feathers and other rubbish, 



