16 Mr. J. D. D. La Touche on the flbis, 



or twice settle in its vicinity — as a rule, within easy range 

 of the men's guns. The guns used are single-barrelled, and 

 as the occupants of the ])it are two in number one or 

 tM'o birds remain as the result of a successful shot. These 

 are instantly deprived of the flight- and sometimes even of 

 the tail-feathers, which are made up into bundles for sale 

 to feather merchants, and the mutilated body is sent to 

 market. The Chinwangtao market is stocked witli Bustards 

 in spring and autumn, and in winter many birds are brought 

 from inland. The price varies according to size from $0.50 

 to '^1.00, the latter price being asked for birds which 

 have perfect wings and tail ; otherwise a large mutilated 

 bird may be had for a couple of dollars. Young birds are 

 not bad eating, but old males are very rank in flavour. 



The Eastern Great Bustard takes at least three or 

 perhaps four years to develop to its full size and j)lumage. 

 Young males of the } ear have the liead, neck^ and breast 

 of a somewhat darkish grey, the primaries are spotted at 

 their extremity, the side-rectrices are doubh-barred, and 

 the weight varies from 6 to 10 lbs. In the following 

 spring a short beard is assumed, but no other change takes 

 place beyond the moulting of the primaries and secondaries. 

 In the second spring (third year of the bird) the bird has 

 a clear grey crown with an inconspicuous central dark 

 stripe, a fair-sized beard, the neck and breast remain as 

 in autumn (clear pale grey with a trace of lengthening 

 and disintegrating of the fore-neck feathers). The wing- 

 coverts have some of the immature markings, but the outer 

 rectrices have the single subterminal black bar of the adult 

 plumage. The male evidently assumes in the second 

 autumn the clearer grey head, neck, and breast of the 

 adult bird. 



The male when three or more years old has in spring the 

 head, nape, and upper hind-neck of a very pale grey ; the 

 dark coronal stripe has almost disappeared ; the chin, throat, 

 and upper lower neck arc white, tinged with buff on the 

 neck. The beard is four or more inches long, and the 

 leathers of the fore-neck are disintegrated and almost as 



