BRITISH BIRDS. 289 



THE HOOPOE. 

 (Upupa EpopSy Linn. Huppe puput, Temm.) 



LENGTH twelve inches; breadth nineteen. The 

 bill is about two inches long", black, slender, and 

 somewhat curved; eyes hazel; the tongue very 

 short and triangular ; the head is ornamented with 

 a crest, consisting of a double row of feathers, of 

 a pale orange yellow, tipped with black, the 

 highest about two inches in length; the neck is 

 pale reddish brown; breast and belly white, and 

 in young birds marked with various dusky lines 

 pointing downwards; the back, scapulars, and 

 wings are crossed with broad bars of black and 

 white ; the lesser coverts of the wings light brown ; 

 rump white ; the tail consists of ten feathers, each 

 marked with white, and when closed, assumes 

 the form of a crescent, the horns pointing down- 

 wards : the legs are short and black. 



VOL I. 2O 



