72 LOST AND VANISHING BIRDS 



ing season is in May. The hen scrapes a hollow 

 either on the open steppe or amongst the growing 

 grain, lining it with a few bits of dry herbage. 

 In this she usually lays two, and occasionall}^ three 

 eggs, olive green or olive brown in ground colour, 

 spotted and blotched with reddish brown and grey. 

 She alone appears to incubate them. If disturbed, 

 she glides very quietly away, running for some 

 distance before taking wing. But one brood is 

 reared in the season. 



The male Great Bustard has the head grey ; the 

 general colour of the upper parts is chestnut buff, 

 barred with black ; the primaries are black, the 

 remainder of the wings white ; the breast is banded 

 with chestnut and grey ; the remainder of the 

 under parts is white. There is a tuft of long white 

 bristly feathers or plumes on each side at the 

 base of the bill. The female wants these accessary 

 plumes, and the pectoral bands are absent. The 

 male also possesses in some cases (possibly in very 

 old birds) an air pouch or sac opening under the 

 tongue, but its exact use is not yet fully ascertained. 

 An old cock Great Bustard is from thirty-six to 

 forty- three inches in length, and may weigh as much 

 as thirtjj'-five pounds ; but the hen is considerably 

 smaller, not much more than half that weight. 



