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OTIS. BUSTARD. 



The Bustards may be said to be in external appearance 

 intermediate between the Partridges and Plovers. They 

 look like Gallinaceous birds of which the legs are elongated, 

 the toes shortened and reduced to three. Their body is 

 ovate, large, little compressed; the neck long and rather 

 slender ; the head of moderate size, ovate, somewhat com- 

 pressed. 



Bill shorter than the head, moderately stout, or rather 

 slender, nearly straight, broader than high at the base, com- 

 pressed toward the end ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 straight for half its length, then decimate and convex, the 

 ridge narrow to beyond the nostrils, the nasal sinus large, 

 and filled by a membrane, which is feathered at the base, 

 the edges sharp, inflected for half their length, then direct, 

 the tip narrowed but blunt ; lower mandible Avith the angle 

 long and narrow, the dorsal line slightly ascending and 

 nearly straight, the sides of the crura sloping a little outwards 

 and nearly flat, the edges sharp and direct, the tip narrow 

 but blunt ; the gape-line little arched. 



Upper mandible internally with three prominent lines, 

 lower more deeply concave. Nostrils linear or oblong, direct, 

 slightly operculate, nearly basal. Eyes rather large. Aper- 

 ture of ear of moderate size. Feet long and rather slender ; 

 tibia bare for a third of its length, covered all round with 

 oblong scales ; tarsus long, reticulated with oblong, sub- 

 hexagonal scales ; toes three, short, scutellate above, margi- 

 nate, flattened beneath, spreading, with short basal webs. 

 Claws short, depressed, convex, arched, thin-edged, obtuse. 



Plumage moderate, compact ; feathers narrow on the head 



