HOOPOE. 337 



perched on a rope, and only jerking out the song with nods of its head, 

 the notes more resemble hoh-hoh-hoh. Naumann says that in addition to 

 this note, which represents the bird's song, it has a hoarse note resembling 

 khr, and another, which may be the call-note, like vake, vake. 



The Hoopoe is easily kept in confinement, and it has been known to 

 breed in captivity. It soon becomes familiar with its keeper, often feeding 

 from his hand. It is also said to be extremely fond of dusting itself, like 

 the Larks, in the sand on the floor of its cage. 



The breeding-season of the Hoopoe commences in the middle of May, 

 and eggs may be found from that time onwards until the second week in 

 June. Paired probably for life, the bird rears its young in holes in trees, 

 especially willows, or in a suitable hollow in a rock or old wall. It makes 

 scarcely any nest, merely placing a few straws, roots, and often pieces of 

 dried cow- dung as lining to the hole ; but sometimes the eggs rest on the 

 dead wood alone, or on the remains of the old nest of a Starling or other 

 bird that had previously been in possession of the site. In China Swinhoe 

 states that the bird often breeds in the holes of exposed Chinese coffins, a 

 proceeding which brings the bird into evil repute by the natives, who 

 call it the " Coffin-bird." The nest of the Hoopoe frequently smells 

 offensively ; the droppings of the young are suffered to remain in the hole, 

 and the materials used in the lining often make matters worse. The male 

 feeds the female on the nest ; but there seems to be no doubt that the 

 latter often leaves her charge to pass her droppings and returns without 

 delay. The eggs are from five to seven in number, and many of them when 

 newly laid are pale bluish green, but they soon fade or become stained 

 in the nest. They vary considerably in colour : some are pale greenish 

 blue, almost the colour of those of the Starling, others are different shades 

 of olive ; some are lavender-grey, and others stone-colour. Some specimens 

 have a considerable amount of gloss, and the surface is full of small pits 

 and streaky hollows, which gives them the appearance of being dusted over 

 with minute white specks. The eggs in each clutch do not differ much 

 amongst themselves. They vary in length from TI5 to '96 inch, and in 

 breadth from '77 to '65 inch. It is not easy to confuse the eggs of the 

 Hoopoe with those of any other European bird, the peculiar texture of 

 the shell being sufficient to identify them at a glance. When I was at 

 Valconswaard in the season of 1876, several nests of the Hoopoe were 

 brought to me with the parent birds, which sit so close that they allow 

 themselves to be caught on their eggs. When they were released the 

 black and white on the wing gave to the flight of the bird a desultory 

 butterfly appearance, but at a distance it was comparatively steady and 

 only slightly intermittent and undulating. 



The Hoopoe only rears one brood in the year. The young birds are 

 said to have a hissing note, and when alarmed in the nest to snap their 



VOL. n. z 



