524 GREAT BUSTARD. 



Bustard is now only an irregular wanderer to Great Britain — excep- 

 tionally as far north as the Orkneys; the winter of 1870-71 being 

 signalized by the arrival of a considerable number, while a smaller 

 migration was noticed in England in the winter of 1S79-S0 (coin- 

 ciding with a visitation in the northern and central provinces of 

 France), and another incursion in 1890-91. 



In Denmark, and in the south of Sweden — where this species for- 

 merly bred, it is now of only accidental occurrence, and in Russia it is 

 seldom found further north than Moscow, though southward it is 

 plentiful. It is still resident, except in severe winters, on the plains 

 of Germany — especially near Leipzig, and in Poland it is widely 

 distributed ; on the steppes of the Danubian and Black Sea districts 

 it becomes abundant, and it is also common in suitable portions of 

 the Spanish Peninsula ; but to the rest of Europe it is chiefly a 

 visitor. In Morocco, Tunisia, and North Africa generall)', it is rare. 

 North of the great mountain ranges in Asia, it can be traced to 

 Western China, and a flock has been known to wander as far as the 

 valley of the Indus ; but in Eastern Siberia, and the greater part of 

 China in winter, its representative is the closely-allied O. dybowskii. 



In spring the males fight furiously for the possession of the 

 females, but afterwards they live apart in small droves, and towards 

 the end of May they moult their quills, remaining for some time 

 unable to fly ; otherwise the Bustard is very strong on the wing, and 

 the idea that it habitually seeks safety by continued running is a 

 popular error. The eggs, laid in a hollow scraped in the ground, 

 are 2-3 in number, and are olive-green blotched with brown : 

 measurements 3 by 2-1 in. Incubation, which lasts rather more 

 than three weeks, begins in April in Spain, though later in Germany; 

 the young are soon able to run and hide themselves. Green corn, 

 peas, clover &c., are the chief articles of diet, but worms, small 

 mammals and reptiles are also eaten. Old males sometimes weigh 

 upwards of 30 lbs., and their flesh is coarse, but the hens and young 

 are excellent for the table. 



The adult male has a tuft of long bristly white feathers at the 

 base of the bill on each side ; head bluish-grey ; upper surface 

 chiefly ochreous-yellow barred with black ; wings white, except the 

 primaries, which are brownish ; breast banded with rich chestnut 

 and grey ; belly white. Length 43 in. ; wing 24 in. The female 

 has no bristles or pectoral band, and is much smaller; wing 19 in. 

 The young resemble the hen. In the adult males of this and some 

 other Bustards there is a large sub-lingual air-pouch, which is 

 capable of great dilation during the love-season, though at other 

 times almost invisible. 



