in ornithology; a genus belonging to the order of Picidae. The beak is arcuated, convex, and something blunt; the tongue is obtuse, triangular, entire, and very short; and the feet are fitted for walking. There are ten species; one of which, the epops, hoopoe, or dung-bird, is frequently seen in Britain. It may be readily distinguished from all others that visit this island by its beautiful crest, which it can erect. or depress at pleasure. It is in length 15 inches; the bill is black, two inches and a half long, slender, and incurved; the irides are hazel: the crest consists of a double row of feathers; the highest about two inches long; the tips are black, their lower part of a pale orange colour; the neck is of a pale reddish brown; the breast and belly white; the lesser coverts of the wings are of a light brown; the back, scapulars, and wings, crossed with broad bars of white and black; the rump is white; the tail consists of only 10 feathers, white marked with black; in form of a crescent; the horns pointing towards the end of the feathers. The legs are short and black; the exterior toe is closely united at the bottom to the middle toe.

According to Linnaeus, it takes its name from its note, which has a sound similar to the word; or it may be derived from the French *buppe*, or "crested;" it breeds in hollow trees, and lays two ash-coloured eggs: it feeds on insects, which it picks out of ordure of all kinds. Dr Pallas affirms, that it breeds in preference in putrid carcases; and that he had seen the nest of one in the privy of an uninhabited house, in the suburbs of Tzaritzy.

Ovid says that Tereus was changed into this bird:

*Vertitum in volucrem, cui flant in vertice criete, Prominet immodicum pro longa culpide rostrum: Nomen epops volucris.* Metam. lib. vi. l. 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.