392 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Dr. Adams states that, in Cashmere, where it is very common, the 

 Kin<^-crow (Dicrurus longicaudatus) very often robs it of its prey. 

 I found a Hoopoe breeding on the Neilgherries in May, and am 

 not now certain whether it was the present species or the next. 

 It nestles in holes of walls, trees, &c., and lays several pale green- 

 ish-blue or bluish-white e^2,s. Pallas states that he once found the 

 nest of one within the exposed and barely decomposed thorax of 

 a human body, with seven young birds just ready to fly, which 

 defended themselves by a most fetid fluid. Its voice is a 

 pretty loud, double or treble hoop, whence its name in most 

 languages. It feeds on the ground, walking with ease, and 

 picking up various insects, as coleoptera, ants, grubs, and small 

 grasshoppers. 



255. Upupa nigripennis, Gould. 



HoRBF., Cat. 1055 — U. minor, Sykes, Cat. 125 — Jerdon, Cat. 

 238 — U. Senegalensis,apudBLYTH,Cat. 195 — Hudliud,H. — Kondeh 

 pitta, Tel., i. e. ' crested bird,' also Kukudeu guwa, from its call. 



The Indian Hoopoe. 



Descr. — Very similar to the last, but smaller, and distinguished 

 by the generally darker hue of the rufous of the head and crest, 

 and there is no white on the crest ; the white wing-bauds being also 

 smaller and less conspicuous, and the first primary wants the white 

 spot entirely; the hind-neck and interscapulars are deeper rufous, 

 inclining to brown and less to ashy ; the rump is dusky-black, with 

 a downy white ending to the feathers ; the chin is rufous, and this 

 colour extends along the abdomen to the vent, with only a few 

 dusky streaks on the lower abdomen ; vent and imder tail-coverts 

 white. 



Length 10^ inches ; extent 18 ; wing 5 to 5|- ; tail 4 ; bill at 

 front 1| to nearly 2 ; tarsus |. 



I am at a loss to know why Gould named this species nigripennis, 

 as the name is much more applicable to a S. African species, which 

 appears to want the white spots on the wings altogether. 



