200 THE HOOPOE. 



bird, but immediately after death the plumage loses half its beauty, for during its 

 lifetime the bird is able, by smoothing or ruffling its plumage, to give to its form a vast 

 variety of expressions, which sink in death to one listless aspect, which tells that life has 

 fled. The very respiration of the bird keeps the feathers in continual motion, causing 

 them to change their tints with every breath. Such being the case, even with the 

 recently slain bird or the preserved skin, it may well be imagined that no artist is 

 sufficiently skilful to delineate, no artificial colour sufficiently brilliant to reproduce, and 

 no pen sufficiently accomplished to describe, the glowing tints with any degree of success, 

 when the dramngs and the descriptions are compared with the living originals. 



In the Plume Birds the nostrils are partly covered with a nimiber of velvet-like 

 plumes, but in the Hoopoes they are protected by a membranous scale. The bill is long, 

 curved, pointed at the tip, and keeled at the base. The crown of the head is surmounted 

 by a tuft of feathers which can be raised or depressed at will. The wings are rather long, 

 the first quill being short, and the fourth the longest, and the tail is composed of ten 

 feathers of nearly equal length. 



The common Hoopoe enjoys a very wide range of country, being found in Northern 

 Africa, where its principal home is generally stationed, in several parts of Asia, and nearly 

 the whole of Europe. On account of its very striking and remarkable form, it has attracted 

 much notice, and has been the subject of innumerable legends and strange tales, nearly 

 all of which relate to its feathery crest. One of the Oriental legends is worthy of notice 

 inasmuch as it contains a moral exclusive of the interest of the story. 



It is related that Solomon was once journeying across the desert and was fainting 

 with heat, when a large flock of Hoopoes came to his assistance, and by flying between 

 the sun and the monarch, formed an impenetrable cloud with their wings and bodies. 

 Grateful for their ready help, Solomon asked the birds what reward they would choose in 

 return for their services. After some consultation among themselves, the Hoopoes 

 answered that they would like each bird to be decorated with a golden crown ; and in 

 spite of Solomon's advice, they persisted in their request, and received their crowns 

 accordingly. For a few days they were justly proud of their golden decoration, and 

 strutted among the less favoured birds with great exultation, and repaired to every stream 

 or puddle in order to admire the reflection of their crowns in the water. 



But before very long, a fowler happened to see one of the promoted birds, and on 

 taking it in his net, discovered the value of its crown. Immediately the whole country 

 was in an uproar, and from that moment the Hoopoes had no rest. Every fowler spread 

 his nets for them, every archer lay in wait for them, and eveiy little boy set his 

 springle or laid his rude trap in hope of catching one of these valuable birds. At last 

 they were so wearied with persecution, that they sent one or two of the survivors to 

 Solomon, full of repentance at their rejection of his advice, and begging him to rescind 

 the gift wliich they had so unwisely demanded. Solomon granted their request, and 

 removed the golden crown from their heads ; but being unwilling that the birds should 

 be left without a mark by which they might be distinguished from their fellows, he 

 substituted a crown of feathers for that of gold, and dismissed them rejoicing. 



The Turks call the Hoopoe Tir-Chaous, or Courier- Bird, because its feathery crown bears 

 some resemblance to the plume of feathers which the chaous or courier wears as a token 

 of his office. The Swedes are rather fearful of the Hoopoe, and dread its presence, 

 which is rare in their country, as a presage of war, considering the plume as analogous to 

 a helmet. Even in our own country the unedu.cated rustics think it an unlucky bird, 

 most probably on account of some old legend which, although forgotten, has not entirely 

 lost its powers of exciting prejudice. 



The food of the Hoopoe is almost entirely of an insect nature, although the bird will 

 frequently vary its diet with tadpoles and other small creatures. Beetles and their larvae, 

 caterpillars and grubs of all kinds, are a favourite food with the Hoopoe, which displays 

 much ingenuity in digging them out of the decayed wood in which they are often found. 

 The jet-ant {Formica fuligifnosd), which greatly haunts tlie centre of decaying trees, is also 

 eaten by this bird. 



