32 Wild ^ Tame Hoopoes 



I succeeded in bringing to Cairo seven well-grown 

 hoopoes, and, much as I loved them, could I ever go 

 through such a business again ? I think never ! They 

 had to be fed constantly, and each bird had to be taken 

 out of the cage in turn, so that the food could be 

 placed in its mouth ; for otherwise it was thrown 

 about inside the cage, and the birds would have ended 

 in being half starved. 



As I was staying for two days in Cairo before 

 leaving for England, I used to allow two of the 

 hoopoes, which were particularly tame, to fly about 

 upon the spacious balcony which opened from my 

 sitting-room, and very pretty it was to see them sun- 

 ning themselves on the balustrade, lying down and 

 spreading out their wings, crests, and tails to catch 

 the full heat, until they looked, with their black and 

 white bands and bars, like some puzzle or kaleido- 

 scope. The cage in which they lived was an Egyptian 

 one, made of cane, with a sliding door. With constant 

 opening and shutting, this door slid back extremely 

 easily, so that perhaps my horror may be imagined 

 when, on returning from the bazaars one morning, 

 I found the door pushed back, and all seven hoopoes 

 flitting about in the trees which grew opposite the 

 hotel. 



Kites and wicked grey crows (the wretches !) were 

 gathering round, eyeing my poor innocent hoopoes, 

 some of which, highly delighted at finding themselves 

 at liberty, were preening their feathers and erecting 

 their crests, and looking generally perky. 



That I should ever recover them all again, I 



