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supposed to forebode war and hard times ; and from this is derived its Swedish name, Harfogel, 

 literally " army bird." Respecting its occurrence in Denmark, Mr. J. C. H. Fischer states: — "It 

 is a rare bird with us. Since 1862 I only know of one instance of its occurrence, viz. two speci- 

 mens shot in the late summer of 1868. From information I have collected it appears that thirty 

 years ago it bred commonly with us, whereas it has now entirely disappeared." Our friend Mr. 

 A. Benzon, of Copenhagen, writes to us that " the Hoopoe seems, now that the forests have been 

 cleared of all the old and hollow trees, to have entirely vanished from our fauna. A short time 

 ago it was by no means rare, and bred in many of our forests — amongst others, Hannenov Forest, 

 at Falster, where I often, when a child, procured the young birds. I have in my collection an 

 old male shot at Helsingoer on the 20th of August 1854, but have no eggs taken in Denmark." 

 In Finland, Von Nordmann informs us that, according to Sandelin, it occurred near Uleaborg in 

 1802, and also near Abo. Schrader shot a male near Polmak, in Lapland, in September 1849. 

 Meyer says that it is found near Riga and on the Aa, but does not occur at all in some parts of 

 Livonia. 



According to Naumann, the Hoopoe is nowhere rare in Germany, indeed very common in 

 some parts, as for instance in Anhalt and parts bordering that district. It inhabits both hilly 

 and low localities, not even excepting the marshes ; but it is found everywhere in pairs, never in 

 flocks. It is a bird of passage, arriving in Germany in pairs or singly late in March or early 

 in April, leaving again in August, sometimes in family parties, and migrating very slowly. 

 Dr. Kriiper, writing in 1854, observes that it is "not as common in Pomerania as in other parts 

 of Germany. It arrives a few days earlier than the Cuckoo. Last year I heard the first Hoopoe 

 on the 30th of April." Dr. E. Rey, of Halle, sends us a note as follows : — " Here in Germany I 

 have found this bird breeding from the middle of May to the early part of June." Seidensacher 

 says it arrives in Styria late in March or early in April, leaving again in August or September. 

 Schlegel records it as common in Holland, arriving in April and leaving in September ; but 

 Mr. H. M. Labouchere tells us that it is not so plentiful as it used to be. According to De 

 Selys-Longchamps it arrives in Belgium about the 10th of April and leaves in September; it 

 nests in the swampy woods on the banks of the Meuse and Campine. On the plains of Hesbaye 

 it only occurs during migration, and is seen in April and at the end of the summer. Degland 

 and Gerbe say that it is common in France, arriving regularly in April and May and leaving in 

 September and October ; and according to MM. Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye it is 

 common in Provence from April to the end of September. Bailly states that it is not uncommon 

 in Savoy during the periods of migration, but is rarely found there during the breeding-season. 

 Its appearance in spring takes place in April or, sometimes, at the end of March. Lord Lilford 

 writes : — " This species is common, and breeds near Lausanne, in walnut trees, about the meadows 

 bordering the Lake of Geneva." 



Lord Lilford in a letter informs us that the Hoopoe is very abundant in all parts of Spain, 

 and is indeed more or less common in all the countries bordering the Mediterranean that he has 

 visited. Major Irby writes to us : — " The Hoopoe is very abundant in Andalucia ; but I have not 

 observed it breeding in the vicinity of Gibraltar, though it has been seen on the rock. In 186S 

 I saw the first on the 27th of March, in 1869 on the 14th of March ; in 1870 I observed a single 

 example as early as the 17th of February; and in 1871 I also saw one on the 18th of the same 



