526 • LITTLE BUSTARD. 



chiefly a winter-visitor to Germany : but it has greatly increased of 

 late years on the undulating plains which stretch across France from 

 Marne to La Vendee, arriving about the end of March or early in 

 April, and leaving in September. In the Spanish Peninsula it is very 

 common on broken or rolling ground ; but to the north of Italy it is 

 only a visitor, though resident in the south as well as Sicily and 

 Sardinia; while it is tolerably plentiful along the valley of the Danube, 

 as well as in the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, Greece, and Southern 

 Russia. Eastward it extends to Turkestan, and on migration it is 

 known to cross the lofty Pamir plateau on the way to its winter- 

 quarters in North-western India. In Africa north of the Sahara it 

 is abundant, being well known in Algeria and Tunisia by the name 

 of " Poule de Carthage " ; it is, however, rare in Egypt. 



The male assumes his breeding-plumage in April, at which time 

 he selects a spot about three feet in diameter, on which he passes 

 several hours each day, with head and neck thrown back, wings 

 somewhat extended, and tail erect, pouring forth his peculiar cry of 

 pnit, prut (whence the French name Canepetiere), jumping up at 

 the conclusion of each call, and striking the ground in a peculiar 

 manner on his descent. At this season ]\Ir. Abel Chapman found 

 that the throat became much dilated. Conflicts take place for the 

 females, but instead of uniting in flocks whilst the latter are in- 

 cubating, each male is to be found in the vicinity of a hen. The 

 nest, slightly made of dry grass, is placed on the ground, among 

 herbage sufficiently high to conceal the bird ; the eggs, 3-4 in 

 number, are of a very glossy olive-brown or pale green, clouded 

 with darker patches, and often beautifully zoned with rufous : 

 measurements i"95 by i"5 in. The first clutch is laid about the end 

 of May, a second being frequently produced in the latter part of 

 July. The food consists of herbs, grain, insects, slugs, small snails, 

 frogs, field-mice &c. The male rises with a loud clatter of his 

 wings, but the female sits remarkably close. In autumn the birds 

 form large packs, which afterwards break up into smaller parties. 



The male in spring has the cheeks and throat dark grey enclosed 

 by a white loop, below which is a broad collar of black, followed by 

 a band of white and then another of black ; crown and general 

 upper plumage sandy-brown, vermiculated with black ; wing-coverts 

 and under surface white. Length 17 in.; wing 9'5 in. In winter 

 the feathers of the neck and breast are sandy-brown streaked with 

 black, as in the female. The latter differs chiefly in having the 

 upper parts blotched — rather than vermiculated — with black. The 

 young are like the hen, but rather more barred on the flanks. 



