GRALLATORIJ^. 367 



Otis, Lin. 



The Bustards, in addition to the massive carriage of the Gallina- 

 ceae, have a long neck and legs, and moderate beak^ its superior 

 mandible being slightly arcuated and arched, which, as well as the 

 very small membranes between the base of the toes, again recal the 

 idea of the Gallinaceae. But the nakedness of the lower part of their 

 legs, their whole anatomy, and even the flavour of their flesh, place 

 them among the Grallatoriac, and as they have no thumb, the smaller 

 species approximate closely to the Plovers. Their tarsi are reticu- 

 lated, and their wings short; they fly but seldom, hardly ever using 

 their wings, except to assist themselves in running. They feed in- 

 differently on grain and herbs, worms and insects. 



O. tarda, L., Enl. 245. (The Great Bustard.) Back, of a 

 bright fawn colour, crossed with numerous black streaks, the 

 remainder greyish. The feathers of the ears of the miale, which 

 is the largest bird in Europe, are lengthened out on both sides, 

 forming a kind of large mustachios. This species, which 

 is considered as being among the best game of that country, 

 frequents its extensive plains, building on the ground among 

 the grain. 



O. tetrax, L.; Enl. 25 and 10. (The Little Bustard.) More 

 than a half smaller, and much less common than the tarda; 

 brown above, sprinkled with black; whitish beneath; neck of 

 the male black, with two white collars. 



The beak of most species foreign to Europe is more slender 

 than that of those which belong to it. Among the former we 

 may remark, 



O. houhara, Gm. ; Le Houbara, Desfontaines, Acad, des Sc, 

 1787, pi. x; Vieill. Galer., pi. ccxxvii. (The Houbara.) So 

 called on account of the ruff" of elongated feathers which orna- 

 ments both sides of its neck. From Africa and Arabia.(l) 



Cauche, who considers it to be the same as the inepfus, giving' it however but 

 three toes, while all the others allow tlie former to possess four. No one has been 

 able to obtain a sight of any of these birds since the time of the above named tra- 

 vellers. 



Of all birds, that which has its wings the most completely reduced to a simple 

 vestige, is the Jlpieryx, represented by Shaw, Nat. Misc. 1055 and 1057. Its ge- 

 neral figure is that of an Aptenodytes, its size that of a Goose. The feet would be 

 those of the former, were they not described as wanting the web. Tlie beak is 

 very long, slender, marked with a longitudinal groove on each side, and having a 

 membrane at base. The wing is reduced to a little stump, terminated by a hook. 

 From New Holland. 



(1)1 leave among the Bustards all Latliam's species, such as tlie Jlfra, Lath. 



