s not unlike that of the coppersmith, but less metallic and
much more subdued. The flight of the hoopoe is undulating or jerky,
like that of a butterfly. Young hoopoes are reared up in a hole in
a building, or in a bank. The nest is incredibly malodoriferous.

THE CYPSELIDAE OR SWIFT FAMILY

The flight and general appearance of the swifts have already been
described. The common Indian swift (_Cypselus affinis_) is perhaps
the bird most frequently seen in the Himalayas. A small dark sooty
brown bird with a broad white bar across the back, a living monoplane
that dashes through the air at the rate of 100 miles an hour,
continually giving vent to what Jerdon has so well described as a
"shivering scream," can be none other than this species. It nests
under the eaves of houses or in verandahs. Hundreds of these swifts
nest in the Landour bazar, and there is scarcely a _dak_ bungalow
or a deserted building in the whole of Kumaun which does not afford
nesting sites for at least a dozen pairs of swifts. About sunset these
birds indulge in riotous exercise, dashing with loud screams in and
out among the pillars that support the roof of the verandah in which
their nests are placed. The nest is composed of mud and feathers and
straw. The saliva of the swift is sticky and makes excellent cement.

The other swift commonly seen in the Himalayas is the Alpine swift
(_Cypselus melba_). This is distinguishable from the Indian species
by its white abdomen and dark rump. It is perhaps the swiftest flier
among birds. Like the species already described, it utters a shrill
cry when on the wing.

THE CUCULIDAE OR CUCKOO FAMILY

It is not possible for anyone of sound hearing to be an hour in a
hill station in the early summer without being aware of the presence
of cuckoos. The Himalayas literally teem with them. From March to
June, or even July, the cheerful double note of the common cuckoo
(_Cuculus canorus_) emanates from every second tree. This species,
as all the world knows, looks like a hawk and flies like a hawk.

According to some naturalists, the cuckoo profits by its similarity
to a bird of prey. The little birds which it imposes upon are supposed
to fly away in terror when they see it, thus allowing it to work
unmolested its wicked will in their nests. My experience is that
little birds have a habit of attacking birds of prey that venture
near their nest. The presence of eggs or young ones makes the most
timid creatures a