. Stories about birds of land and water . sight they were seizedwith a panic. They squatted down to the ground in a very curious attitude ;their wings were stretched out and their heads leaned back with the beakpointing upwards. They looked more like pieces of old rag that had beenthrown on the ground than anything else. The moment the pigeon wasgone, up they jumped, and uttered cries of delight. In his native state the hoopoe is fond of hunting about for insects onsome piece of moist ground. He makes his nest in the hole of some decayed tree. It is made of drygrass, lined with wool or feather


. Stories about birds of land and water . sight they were seizedwith a panic. They squatted down to the ground in a very curious attitude ;their wings were stretched out and their heads leaned back with the beakpointing upwards. They looked more like pieces of old rag that had beenthrown on the ground than anything else. The moment the pigeon wasgone, up they jumped, and uttered cries of delight. In his native state the hoopoe is fond of hunting about for insects onsome piece of moist ground. He makes his nest in the hole of some decayed tree. It is made of drygrass, lined with wool or feathers, and has a very unpleasant smell, from theremains of insects that lie about in it. If the birds cannot find a hollow tree that will suit their purpose, theychoose a crevice in the rock or in some old building. The mother bird laysfour or five eggs, of a greyish white, spotted with grey or brown. THE HUMMING-BIRD. 67 THE HUMMING-BIRD. The humming-bird may be called the fly-catcher of the tropics, for he isquite as expert as the THE GIANT HUMMING-BIRD. But his habits and his mode of proceeding are rather different. In thefirst place, he is, as you know, the smallest of all the birds, and in some casesE 2 68 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. no larger than a humble bee. But his tiny body is adorned with rainbowcolours, and the feathers on his throat have a look like velvet, and changecolour every moment in a wonderful and beautiful manner. There is one great humming-bird that is a giant among his fellows, andthe least attractive of any of them. You see him in the picture. He is aslarge as a sparrow, and is dressed in a rather sober costume of brownish green,the under part of the body tinted with red. The tail is golden green; and thefeathers on the throat are velvety, but lack brightness of colour. The life of the humming-bird is spent among the brightest scenes ofnature. He flashes from flower to flower with the rapidity of lightning, andhovers over first one and then another. His


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirdsjuvenileliterat