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OTIS TARDA. THE GREAT BUSTARD. 



Otis Tarda. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 264. 



Otis Tarda. Lath. Ind. Oniith. II. 6-58. 



Great Bustard. Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Supplt. 



Outarde barbue. Otis Tarda. Temm. Man. d'Ornith. II. 506. 



Otis Tarda. Great Bustard. Flem. Brit. Aniin. 115. 



Great Bustard. Otis Tarda. Selby, Illustr. Brit. Ornith. I. 442. 



Otis Tarda. Great Bustard. Jenyns, Brit. Vert. Anim. 174. 



Otis Tarda. Bonap. Comp. List, 44. 



Male about forty-six inches long ; in summer with a tuft 

 of slender elongated feathers directed backwards on each side 

 of the throat ; the head, neck, part of the breast, secondary 

 and some of the smaller wing-coverts bluish-grey ; a longi- 

 tudinal black band on the head ; upper parts reddish-yelloiv, 

 spotted and barred with black; tail white at the base, then 

 light yellotcish-red, with two black bands ; lower parts of the 

 body white, Female with the grey of the head and neck 

 darker; the dark band on the head lighter, the gidar tufts 

 wanting, otherwise coloured like the male. 



Male in Summer. — This species, which is the largest of 

 our indigenous birds, sometimes, according to Montagu, 

 weighing as much as thirty pounds, has the body very large 

 and full, the neck rather long and of moderate thickness; 

 the head ovate, somewhat compressed, and considerably 

 rounded above. The peculiarities of its internal structure I 

 am unable to describe, not having had an opportunity of 

 examining a recent specimen. It is said, however, to have a 

 large subcutaneous gular pouch, communicating with the 

 throat, and supposed by some to be inflated with air, while 



