88 EGGS OF BEITISH BIRDS. 



been broken by the wind and lie on the surface of the water. 

 The outside is generally made of coarse flags, reeds, dead leaves, 

 and portions of aquatic plants ; and as it approaches completion 

 finer materials are used, and the lining generally consists of dry 

 reed leaves. 



The eggs are from six to twelve in number, seven or eight being 

 an average clutch. They are huffish- white or stone-colour, 

 spotted and speckled evenly over the entire surface with blackish- 

 brown. The markings are seldom very large, generally varying 

 from about the size of No. 10 shot to mere specks On some 

 eggs many of the spots are underlying and violet-grey. They are 

 not subject to much variation in colour, but differ considerably in 

 size. They vary in length from 2 - 2 to 2"08 inches, and in breadth 

 from 1*55 to 105 inch. 



FAMILY OTIDID/E, 

 OB BUSTARDS. 



THE GKEAT BUSTABD. 

 (Otis tarda.) 



Plate 23, Fig. 4. 



The Great Bustard formerly bred in several parts of Great 

 Britain, but is now completely extinct. It nests on all the steppes 

 and large open plains throughout the southern portion of the 

 Palaearctic region. It is found on the plains of Northern and 

 Central Germany, Spain, Italy, the steppes of the Danube, South 

 Russia, and Turkey, and eastwards into Palestine and throughout 

 Turkestan. 



A nest found by me in Northern Germany was a slight hollow 

 in the midst of the wheat, not more than an inch depressed even 

 in the centre, and occupying a space about 18 by 13 inches. 

 A handful of dry grass was all the lining below the eggs, which 

 were warm and slightly incubated. 



