344 HOOPOE. Class II. 



brings to its young. The country people in 

 Sxveden look on the appearance of this bird as a 

 presage of war ; 



, — Facies armata videtur : 



and formerly the vulgar in our country esteem- 

 ed it a forerunner of some calamity. It visits 

 these islands frequently; but not at stated 

 seasons, neither does it breed* with us. It is 

 found in many parts of Europe, in Egypt, and 

 even as remote as Ceylon* The Turks call it 

 Tir Chaous or the messenger bird, from the 

 resemblance its crest has to the plumes worn 

 by the Chaous or Turkish couriers. 



Ovid says that Tereus was changed into this 

 bird : 



Vertitur in volucrem, cui stant in vertice cristae, 

 Prominet immodicum pro longa cuspide rostrum : 

 Nomen Epops volucri. Metam. lib. vi. 1. 672. 



Tereus, through grief, and haste to be reveng'd, 

 Shares the like fate and to a bird is chang'd. 

 Fix'd on his head the crested plumes appear ; 

 Long is his beak, and sharpen'd as a spear. Croxall. 



The Hoopoe visits Italy in May and retires 

 in September. 



* Dr. Latham suggests that the Hoopoe breeds in England 

 oftener than is generally supposed, and mentions that a pair some 

 years ago had begun to make a nest in Hampshire, but were 

 disturbed and quitted it. A young bird was also sent to him on 

 the 10th oiMay, 1786. Ed. 



