183 



ornithologists, and has been called Upupa marginata by Dr. Peters. Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub state that it 

 is like U. epops, but larger, and with a longer tail ; the crest is darker, and has no white before the black bar ; 

 the outer tail-feather is more broadly edged with white on the outer web. 



Asia. 



India. Two Hoopoes appear in India, one being our European U. epops, and the other being U. indica, a 

 distinct species. Lord Walden and Canon Tristram have kindly lent us a nice series of specimens, and we 

 have now before us examples of the European Hoopoe from Candeish, Umballah (R. C. Beavan), Etawah 

 {W. E. Brooks), and Simla (jR. C. Beavan). In general the colouring of U. epops from India is a little paler, 

 especially about the crest ; and the other characters vary quite as much as in European specimens. Total 

 length 10-0-12-0 inches, culmen 1-9-2-3, wing 5-45-5-8, tail 3-7-4-5, tarsus 0-75-0-85. 



U. indica appears to us to be a distinct species, characterized principally by the absence of white on the 

 crest and the deeper coloration; on some examples, however, a trace of white can be seen on the hindermost 

 crest-feathers, though never so distinctly as in U. epops. The vinous colour also seems to extend further on 

 to the abdomen than in the last-named bird. A series of specimens in the collections of Lord Walden and 

 Canon Tristram, from Etawah (W. E. Brooks), Umballah (R. C. Beavan), Deyra Doon and N.-E. India, 

 give the following measurements : — Total length 9-5-H'O inches, culmen 2-0-2-35, wing 4-9-5'3, tail 3 - 7-4 - 3, 

 tarsus 0-8-0-85. Although, as Dr. Jerdon rightly remarks, the markings on the wing in this species are 

 somewhat smaller than in the European bird, they are the same in character, and vary quite as much, so that 

 the statement of Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub that this bird has no white spot on the first primary does not hold 

 good when a series is examined. 



Ceylon. Specimens collected by Mr. S. Chapman in this island are in Lord Walden's collection, and do 

 not, beyond being slightly smaller, differ materially from U. indica, though the species has been described by 

 Reichenbach as distinct, under the name of U. ceylonensis. Three birds examined measure as follows : — 

 Total length 10-5 inches, culmen 2-05-2-2, wing 4'5-5T, tail 3-7-4-1, tarsus - 75. 



Bwrmah. Dr. Jerdon has separated the Hoopoe from this country under the name of U. longirostris ; and 

 certainly a specimen lent us by Lord Walden, from Tonghu, has a remarkably long bill ; but beyond this 

 distinction and the absence of white on the crest, some of the other characters adduced by the describer do 

 not hold good when compared with the series of U. indica. The absence of the white spot on the first primary 

 occasionally occurs in both U. epops and U. indica. Mr. Blyth, however, tells us that when in Burmah he 

 particularly noticed the rufous colouring. Lord Walden's specimen measures as follows : — Total length 

 10'7 inches, culmen 2'5, wing 5 - 5, tail 4 - 4, tarsus - 9. Mr. Gould has one in his collection (labelled " Indian 

 Peninsula") which is referable to U. longirostris (with no white at all on the crest) and measures : — -Total length 

 11"5 inches, culmen 3 - 25, wing 5'3, tail 4'5, tarsus - 85. Another one in his collection, from Siam (Schomburgk), 

 is very small, and dark rufous in colour, with an entirely black-tipped crest. It measures : — Total length 10 - 

 inches, culmen 2 - 0, wing 5-5, tail 4T, tarsus - 85. 



China. Mr. Swinhoe has collected a fine series of our Common Hoopoe from the neighbourhood of 

 Amoy; and we cannot find any special difference between specimens from Europe and examples from this 

 locality. They vary also to the same extent as European birds ; the majority, however, have more white on 

 the outer tail-feather than is seen in most of the western Hoopoes ; and one or two specimens have the frontal- 

 feathers thickly spotted with black. In his collection are two very young birds from Peking ; and we notice 

 that these are much greyer in plumage, especially on the sides of the face, as in the specimen of U. africana 

 from Natal, in Canon Tristram's collection, which we noticed above. A good series of Chinese specimens, all 

 collected by Mr. Swinhoe, give the following measurements : — Total length 9'5-HT inches, culmen L7-2-4, 

 wing 5-3-5-9, tail 3-6-4-2, tarsus 0'85-0-95. We noticed that the Chinese birds, as a rule, seem to be larger 

 and finer than those from Europe. Some of the specimens have very little white before the black bar on the 

 crest, certainly not as much as in most European birds, and therefore come near to U. indica. 



