UPUPIDAE—HOOPOE. 151
reported in most years. There is little or no doubt that it would
breed with us oc-
casionally, were it
not for the fact
that its very strik-
ing exterior causes
it to be shot im-
mediately on its
first appearance.
It has been known
to breed in Dor-
set, Hants, Sussex,
Surrey, and else-
where, but not
yet in Essex, so
far as I am aware,
though the pair
shot by Mr. Par-
sons in 1839 would, in all probability, have bred had he not killed
them.
Merrett say., (1. 173) "in the New Forrest in Hampshire, and in Essexia, sed
raro invenitur." Albin figures (3. ii. 39) a hen which he says " was shot in the
garden of Mr. Starkey Mayos at Woodford, on Epping Forest, where they had
observed it for some time, and used all the means to take it they could ; but it
was so shy that it avoided all their traps which were laid for it, which the gentle-
man observing, ordered it to be shot." Buffon alludes to the occurrence of this
specimen. The Rev. R. Sheppard seems to have met with it occasionally at
Wrabness, as he notes its arrival there (see p. 42) on May 3rd in 1821, on May
4th in 1822 and on Apr. 14th in 1825. "Two were killed near Harwich about
the middle of September [1832]" (Hoy—12. vi. 150). Edward Doubleday,
in 1835, records (15) one " killed a few years since about a mile from the town,"
and English includes it as an "occasional visitor " in his list of Epping Birds
(43. i. 24). Mr. C. Walford (19. 47) records that one was shot at Wickham
Bishops and another at Braxted about 1838. Mr. Scruby of Ongar informs me
that about fifty years ago, a specimen, now in the possession of Mr. Muggleston
of Grays Farm, Ongar, was shot near that place and sent in a box, apparently
dead, to Mr. Leadbeater of Golden Square to be preserved. On his opening the
box, however, it flew round the room and was caught with difficulty. Since then
Mr. Scruby has preserved two, one shot at Little Laver, the other at Willingale.
Mr. Kerry has one shot at Harwich many years ago. On April 6th, 1839, Mr.
C. Parsons shot a male at North Shoebury, and on the 10th a female. Although
he several times disturbed them they returned almost directly to the same spot,
and, as there was a hollow tree near, he thought it not unlikely they would have
bred (35). Henry Doubleday mentions (10) one shot by Sir Edward Smijth's
keeper in a wood near Epping about May 6th, 1840, In Kidd's Own Journal
(May 22, 1852, p. 333) it is recorded that Mr. C. Walford had recently shot a